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OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY; 

CONNECTION  OF  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS; 

NEW  TESTAMENT  HISTORY  TO  A.  D.  70. 


EDITED 

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si 


PREFACE. 


This  work  is  designed  to  supply  a  condensed  Manual  of 
Scripture  History  for  the  junior  classes  in  Schools,  and  for 
Family  Use.  It  presents  the  whole  subject  in  one  volume, 
containing  the  Histories  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
with  a  brief,  but  fairly  complete,  account  of  the  connecting 
period. 

To  simplify  the  plan,  and  to  suit  the  comprehension  of  the 
young,  the  book  is  confined  for  the  most  part  to  a  narrative 
of  leading  facts,  avoiding  critical  discussion  on  the  one  hand, 
and  theological  exposition  on  the  other.  The  Notes,  which 
have  been  added  very  sparingly,  on  points  which  could  scarce- 
ly be  left  unexplained,  are  intended  chiefly  for  the  teacher. 
Other  matters,  which  the  teacher  may  desire  to  introduce  at 
his  discretion,  will  be  found  in  the  "  Student's  Manuals  of  Old 
Testament "  and  "  of  New  Testament  History,"  the  order  of 
which  is  here  generally  followed. 

As  the  book  is  meant  to  be  used  with,  and  not  at  all  in  place 
of,  the  Bible,  many  of  those  exquisite  stories,  which  are  only 
spoiled  by  the  attempt  to  repeat  them  in  other  words,  are 
merely  referred  to,  leaving  the  details  to  be  read  in  Scripture 
itself;  and  thus  space  has  been  gained  to  make  the  general 
narrative  more  complete. 

The  "Received  Chronology"  is  adopted  throughout.  No 
other  complete  system  is  yet  established  ;  and  partial  attempts 
at  correction  would  have  involved  discussions  quite  out  of 
place  here.     This  will  explain  some  differences  in  the  datea 


vi  PREFACE. 

given  for  contemporary  events  in  the  "Ancient  History"  of 
this  series.  Down  to  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel 
in  B.C.  721,  the  dates  both  of  Sacred  and  Secular  History  still 
require  adjustment ;  and,  meanwhile,  each  system  of  chronol- 
ogy affords  a  valuable  aid  for  the  order  of  the  events. 

The  "  Contents  "  are  drawn  up  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form 
a  Chronological  Table ;  and  they  will  also  suggest  Questions 
for  the  teacher.  Tables  of  the  Weights,  Measures,  and  Money 
mentioned  in  the  Bible  are  given  at  the  end  of  the  book. 


Shekel. 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART    I. 
HISTORY  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.— B.C.  4004-400. 


CHAPTER  I. 

From  the  Creation  to  tue  Deluge. — B.C.  4004-2348. 


B.C.  PAGE 

4004.  The  Creation 19 

The  Fall  of  Man 21 

Cain  and  Abel 23 

The  Canutes  and  Sethites..23,  24 
Translation  of  Enoch 26 


B.C. 

2349. 

234S. 

1998. 


Noah  and  the  Flood 25 

Covenant  with  Noah 27 

Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth 27 

Death  of  Noah 28 

Note  on  the  Ark 28 


CHAPTER  II. 
From  tue  Deluge  to  tue  Death  of  Abraham.— B.C.  2348-1822. 


JJJ21.  Peopling  of  the  earth 29 

Call  of  Abram 31 

Abram  at  Shechem  and  Beth- 
el    32 

His  visit  to  Egypt 32 

Abram  at  Mamre 33 

Rescue  of  Lot— Melchizedek  33 

Birth  of  Ishmael 34 

New  names  of  Abraham  and 

Sarah 34,  35 

Destruction  of  Sodom. . .  .35,  30 
Abraham  and  Abimelech  ...  36 


1913. 
1910. 


1898. 


1897. 


1872. 
1860. 

1857. 
1853. 
1822. 


Birth  of  Isaac 36 

Expulsion  of  Hagar  and  Ish- 
mael   36,  37 

Offering  of  Isaac 37 

Death  and  burial  of  Sarah  . .  88 

Isaac  marries  Rebekah 39 

Abraham  marries  Keturah . .  39 
Death  and  burial  of  Abra- 
ham   39 

Note.— Dispersion  of  the  No 
tions 40 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 
Fkom  tiie  Death  op  Abraham  to  the  Death  of  Joseph. — B.C.  1822-1635, 


B.C.  PAGE 

1837.  Birth  of  Esau  and  Jacob. ...  41 

1805.  Esau  sells  his  birthright 42 

1804.  Isaac  and  Abimelech 42 

1700.  Isaac  blesses  Jacob 43 

Jacob  flies  to  Haran 44 

1753.  He  marries  Leah  and  Rachel  44 

Family  of  Jacob 45 

1739.  He  returns  to  Canaan 45 

Jacob  at  Shechein 47 


B.C.  PAGK 

1732.  RemovestoBethelandMamre  47 
Birth  of  Benjamin — Death  of 

Rachel 47 

1729.  Joseph  and  his  brethren... 47-53 
1706.  The  Israelites  go  to  Egvpt. .  53 
16S9.  Prophecy,  death,  and  ourial 

of  Jacob 54,  55 

1635.  Death  of  Joseph 56 

His  bones  kept 56 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Israel  in  Egypt.— From  the  Death  of  Joseph  to  the  Exodus.— B.C.  1635- 

1491. 


1635.  Increase  of  the  Israelites 57 

Their  oppression  by  Pharaoh  68 

1571.  Birth  of  Moses 58 

1531.  His  flight  to  Midian 59 

1491.  He  is  sent  to  Egypt 60 


1491.  Moses  and  Aaron  before  Pha- 
raoh   61 

The  Ten  Plagues 62,  65 

The  Passover  and  the  Exo- 
dus  65,  66 

Length  of  the  Sojourn 66 


CHAPTER  V. 
The  Exodus  and  the  Law.— B.C.  1491-1490. 


1491.  Stages  of  the  jonrnev 67 

Passage  of  the  Red  Sea 6S 

The  Manna  and  the  Sabbath  69 

Victory  over  Amalek 70 

Israel  at  Sinai 71 

Giving  of  the  Law 72 


1491.  The  Golden  Calf 73 

Consecration  of  the  Levites.  74 
Construction  of  the  Taber- 
nacle    75 

1490.  The  Tabernacle  set  up T5 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Wandering  in  the  Wilderness. — B.C.  1490-1451. 


1490.  Departure  from  Sinai 76 

Quails  sent — Plague 77 

Sedition  of  Aaron  and  Mir- 
iam   77,  7S 

I«rael  at  Kadesh — The  spies  78 
The  Forty  Years' Wandering  79 
The  Sabbath-breaker  stoned  79 
Rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan, 

and  Abiram 79 

Plague  —  Aaron's   rod  blos- 
soms    80 

1453.  Return  to  Kadesh SO 

The  Water  of  Meribah 80 

1452.  Death  of  Aaron SI 


1452.  Fiery  Serpents— The  Brazen 

Serpent 81 

March  through  Moab 82 

Defeat  of  Sihon  and  Og 82 

Balaam  and  Balak 82,  85 

Slaughter  of  the  Midianites.  S5 
1451.  Settlement  of  two  and  a  half 

tribes  east  of  Jordan 86 

Last  words  of  Moses — Book 

of  Deuteronomy 86 

The  Song  aud  Blessing  of  Mo- 
ses    88 

Death  of  Moses 88 

Moses  a  type  of  Christ 89 


CONTENTS. 


ix 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Legislation  of  Moses. 


BBtT.  PAGE 

I.  Principles  of  the  Law 90 

The Teu  Commandments..    91 
II.  The  Tabernacle;  its  parts 

and  its  furniture 92,  90 

III.  The  Priests  and  Levites  ...     97 

IV.  Sacrifices  and  oblations 99 

V.  Holiness  of  the  people 101 


SF.rT. 

VI. 


VII. 


PAOB 

The  Sacred  Seasons  ... 102 

i.  Sabbath  and  like  feasts  102 
ii.  Three  Great  Festivals.  104 
iii.  The  Day  of  Atonement  107 

Laws  :    political,  civil,  and 
criminal 108 

Forms  of  government 109 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Conquest  and  Division  of  the  Holy  Land. — B.C.  1451-1426. 


1461.  Joshua  leader  of  Israel  ... .  112 

The  spies  and  Rahab 113 

Passage  of  the  Jordan 114 

Capture  of  Jericho. .   115 

Sin  and  fate  of  Achan  ..115, 110 
Craft  of  the  Gibeonites 116 


1451.  Conquest  of  the  South 117 

Conquest  of  the  North 118 

1451^15.  The  conquest  completed  lis 
Allotments  of  the  tribes...  119 

1426.  Death  of  Joshua 120 

Joseph's  bones  buried 121 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Judges.—  B.C.  1426-1095. 


1426  (foil.)  State  of  Israel 122 

Micah  and  the  Danites 122 

Destruction  of  Benjamin.. .  123 

Story  of  Ruth 125 

1402.  i.  Oppression  by  Chushan- 

rishathaim 125 

IS'H.  Othniel,  the  first  judge 126 

1354.  ii.  Oppressor,   Eglon,   king 

of  Moab 126 

1336-1296.    Ehud,      the     second 

judge 126 

1336.  iii.  Philistine,  oppression. . .  126 
1296.  Shamgab,  the  third  judge. .  126 
1316.  iv.  Oppressor,  Jabin,  king 

of  flazor 126 

1296.  Deborah  and  Barak 126 

Sisera  killed  by  Jael 127 

1256.  v.  Oppression    by    Midian, 

Amalek,  etc 127 

1249.  Gideon,  the  fifth  judge 127 

His  name  of  Jerub-baal  —  12S 

He  rejects  the  kingdom 129 

1209.  vi.  Usurpation    of   Abime- 

leoii 130 

Jotham's    Parable    of   the 

Trees 130 

Abimelech  slain  by  a  wom- 
an   131 


1206.  vii.    Tola,     the      seventh 

judge 131 

lls3.  viii.  Jair,  the  eighth  judge.  131 
1161.  ix.  Oppression  by  Ammon- 
ites and  Philistines 131 

1143.  Jepiithah,  the  ninth  judge.  132 

Jephthah's  daughter 132 

Ephraim  —  Shibboleth    and 

Sibboleth 133 

1137.  x.  Ibz  an,  the  tenth  judge..  133 
1130.  xi.    Elon,     the     eleventh 

judge 133 

1120.  xii.    Audon,    the     twelfth 

judge 133 

1141.  xiii.  Samson,  the  thirteenth 

judge 133 

His     birth,   exploits,    and 

death 133-135 

11S1.  xiv.    Eli,    high-priest    and 

judge 130 

1141.  xv.    Samuel,  fifteenth   and 

last  judge 135 

His  birth  and  ministry....  136 
His  prophecy  against  Eli.  130 
Capture  and  return  of  the 

ark 137 

1120.  Victory  of  Eben-ezer 13S 

1112.  The  sons  of  Samuel 138 

1095.  Demand  for  a  king 139 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Reign  of  Saul.— B.C.  1095-1066. 


B.C.  PAGE 

1095.  Saul  anointed  by  Samuel...  14H 

Elected  king  at  Mizpeh 14--' 

1095.  Defeats  the  Ammonites. .  . .    142 

Jonathan  surprises  the  Phi- 
listines   143 

Saul's  other  victories 144 

1079.  He  spares  the  Amalekites..  145 

God  rejects  Saul 145 

1003.  Samuel  anoints  David 140 


B.C. 

1003. 
1062. 


1000. 
1056. 


David  slays  Goliath 148 

Sau!  jealous  of  David 149 

David  a  fugitive 151 

Saul  massacres  the  priests.  151 

The  cave  of  Adullam 151 

David  and  Abigail 153 

Defeat  and  death  of  Saul  . .  154 
David's  dirge  for  Saul  and 
Jonathan 155 


CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Reign  of  David.— B.C.  1056-1015. 


1050.  King  of  Judah  at  Hebron..  156 
Civil  war  with  Ish-bosheth.  157 
Joab's  murder  of  Abner 157 

1048.  David  king  of  all  Israel 157 

He  takes  Jerusalem 15S 

Removal  of  the  ark 159 

1040  (foil.).  Victories  of  David...  160 

1035.  David  aud  Bath-sheba 161 


10-23.  Rebellion  of  Absalom 162 

1017.  Great  pestilence 165 

Preparations  for  the  Temple  165 

1015.  Rebellion  of  Adonijah 105 

Coronation  of  Solomon. ...  166 
Death  and  character  of  Da- 
vid    100 


1015. 
1014. 

1011. 
1014. 


1012. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Tue  Reign  of  Solomon.— B.C.  1015-975.* 


A  chronological  epoch 167 

Adonijah,  Joab,    Abiathar 

and  Shimei 16S 

The  great  Jewish  monarchy  16S 

Alliance  with  Egypt 168 

The  gift  of  wisdom 151 

Splendor  of  Solomon 151 

Alliance  with  Hiram 151 

Foundation  of  the  Temple.  152 


1006.  Dedication  of  the  Temple..  153 

Solomon's  other  buildings.  153 

His  foreign  commerce 154 

His  fall  into  idolatry 154 

Adversaries  raised  up 155 

Ahijah     designates     Jero- 
boam    155 

975.  Death  of  Solomon 155 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Tue  Kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel — to  the  Reigns  of  Jehoshaphat 
and  Ahab B.C.  975-S92. 

Division  of  the  Kingdom ".56 


Judah. 
9T5.  I.  Reuoboam  :  17  years 157 

Shemaiah  forbids  war 158 

970.  Shishak  takes  Jerusalem 158 

05S.  IT.  Ahijah:  3  years 159 

Victory  over  Israel 159 

856.  III.  Asa  :  41  years 102 


975. 


95S. 


Israel. 
1.  Jeroboam  I. :  22  years ...  '59 
Worship   of  the   calves   de- 
nounced by  a  prophet MO 

War  with  Jn'dah 160 

Death  of  his  son  Abijah 100 

Denounced  by  A  hijak   1CU 


*  Names  of  Prophets  are  given  in  italics. 


CONTENTS. 


xl 


B.C.  Jl'DAH.  PAGE 

954.  Reformation  of  religion ISO 

Defeats  Zerah  the  Cushite..  180 
New  reformation — Hanani. .  ISO 

941.  War  with  Israel 180 

Religious  persecution ISO 

916.  IV.  Jeiiosiiapiiat  :  25  years.  ISO 

914.  Religious  reformation 181 

897.  Alliance  with  Ahab  (Chap. 

XIV.) 1S1 

896.  Alliance  with  Ahaziah 182 

892.  Death  of  Jehoshaphat 1S2 


B.C.  Israel.  pace 

954.  2.  Nadab:  2  years 178 

953.  .'!.  Baasua:  24  years 179 

941.  War  with  Judnh— Jehu 179 

Invasion  of  Ben-hadad  I 179 

930.  4.  Elaii:  2  years 179 

929.  5.  Zimki:  7  days 179 

0.  Omki  :  12  years 179 

929-5.  Civil  war  with  Tibni 179 

Omri  builds  Samaria 179 

91S.  Succeeded  by  Ahab   (Chap. 

XIV.) 179 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  House  or  Ahab  and  the  con-temporary  Kings  of  Judaii.— B.C.  918-S78. 


Judaii. 

916.  Jeiiosuapuat  (see  Ch.  XIII.). 


S96.  His  fleet  shipwrecked 1S2 

897.  Shares  Ahab's  defeat  at  Ra- 

moth-Gilead 187 

896.  Aids  Jehoram  against  Moab  189 

892.  V.  Jeiioram  :  S  years 190 

885.  VI.  Ahaziah  :  1  year 190 

8S4.  Slain  by  Jehu 190 

884-78.  VII.  Usurpation  of  Atha- 

liah 191 

House  of  Ahab  destroyed  in  both 


Israel. 

;98.  7.  Ahab:  22  years 183 

Marries  Jezebel 1S3 

Worship  of  Baal 183 

Mission  of  Elijah 184-188 

901-0.  Wars  with  Ben-hadad  II..   I SG 
897.  Death  of  Ahab.    Micaiah...  187 

897.  8.  Ahaziah  :  2  years 187 

Translation  of  Elijah 188 

890.  9.  Jehoram:  12  years 188 

Mission  of  Elistia 188 

Defeat  of  Moab 189 

189 


8S5. 
SS4. 


Siege  of  Samaria. . 

Slain  by  Jelm 1S9 


kingdoms 189 


CHAPTER  XV. 
From  Jehu  and  Joasu  to  tde  Captivity  of  the  Ten  Tribes.— B.C.  884-721. 


878.  VIII.  Joash  :  40  years 193 

850.  Restoration  of  the  Temple..  193 

S50  ?  Death  of  Jehoiada 193 

Martyrdom  of  Zechariah 193 

839.  IX.  AMAZiAn 194 

Victory  over  Edom 194 

Defeated  by  Joash 194 

Depression  of  Jndah 194 

810.  X.  Uzziah  :  52  years 196 

Influence  of  Zechariah 196 

Prosperity  of  Jndah 196 

Victories  of  Uzziah 196 

Usurps  the  priest's  office 197 

Smitten  with  leprosy 197 

Isaiah  prophesies. . ." 197 

768.  XI.  Jotham  :  16  years 197 

Micah  prophesies 197 

742.  XII.  Ahaz:  16  years 197 

740.  Calls  in  Tiglath-pileser 197 

Tributary  to  Assyria 19S 

T26.  Accession  of  Hezekiah  (see 

Chap.  XVI.) 19S 


Israel. 

8S4.  10.  Jehu:  28  years 192 

Tributary  to  Assyria 192 

856.  11.  Jehoahaz  :  17  years 193 

Hard  pressed  by  Syria 194 

840.  12.  Jehoash:  10  years 194 

Victories  over  Syria 194 

Takes  Jerusalem  — 194 

S25.  13.  Jeroboam  II. :  41  years. .  194 

Jonah,  Amos,  Hosea 195 

7S4.  Interregnum  for  9  years  ?. . .  1P5 

773-2.  14.  Zachariau  :  6  months  195 

772.  15.  Shai.lcm  :  1  month 196 

772.  16.  Menauem:  10  years 196 

Tributary  to  Pill,  King   of 

Assyria 196 

761.  17.  Pekahiah:  2  years 196 

759.  18.  Per  ah:  20  years 198 

742.  Alliance  with  Rezin,  etc 197 

741.  Invasion  of  Judah 197 

740.  First  Captivity  of  Israel  ....  198 

730.  19.  Hosiiea:  9  years 198 

726.  Revolts  from  Assyria 199 

7^3.  Carried  prisoner  to  Nineveh  199 

721.  Final  Oasdvtt;  of  Israel..   .  199 


Xll 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Sequel  op  the  Kingdom  of  Judah.    From  Hezekiah  to  the  Bajjyloniam 
Captivity.—  B.C.-726-5S6. 


B.C.  PAGE 

72G.  XIII.  Hezekiah:  29  years..  201 

Reformation  of  religion  ....  201 
712.  His  miraculous  recovery 202 

Embassy  from  Babylon 202 

700  Invasion  of  Sennacherib. . . .  203 
697.  XIV.  Manasseh:  55  years. .  204 

Religious  apostasy 204 

675.  Imprisonment  at  Babylon  . .  204 

Repentance  and  restoration.  204 

641.  XV.  Amon  :  2  years 205 

639.  XVI.  Josiaii  :  31  years 205 

Great  religious  reform 205 

60S.  Killed  at  Megiddo 205 

60S.  XVII.  Jkiioahaz  :  3  mouths  206 

Deposed  by  Pharaoh-nechoh  206 


B.C. 

60S. 
605. 


602. 
597. 
597. 


597. 
586. 


PAGE 

XVIII.  Jehoiakim  :  11  years  206 

Jeremiah  prophesies 206 

Nebuchadnezzar  takes  Jeru- 
salem    206 

First  Captivity,  Daniel,  etc..  207 
Beginning  of  the  70  years' 

Captivity 207 

Rebellion  of  Jehoiakim 207 

Second  capture  of  Jerusalem  207 

XIX.  Jeiioiaohin    or    Jeoo- 
niah  :  3  mouths 207 

Second  or  Great  Captivity. .  20S 

XX.  Zedekiah:  11  years...  208 
Jerusalem    taken    and    de- 
stroyed   208 

Fiual  Captivity  of  Judah. . .  208 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Captivity  at  Babylon.— B.C.  58C-536. 


State  of  the  captive  Jews. . .  209 
605-2.  Daniel    and    his    compan- 
ions    210 

G02.  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream 211 

The  fiery  furnace 211 

569?  Lycanthropy  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar   211 


5G1.  EviL-MEKODACii,    King     of 

Babylon 212 

Releases  Jehoiachin 212 

556.  Nahonadius   and  Belshaz- 

ZAB 212 

538.  Cyrus  takes  Babvlon 213 

538-6.  Darius  the  Median 213 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Restored  Jewish  Nation  and  Church. — B.C.  536-400. 


53C.  Proclamation  of  Cyrus 214 

536.  Return   of  the  Jews— First 
caravan  under  Zerubbabel 

and  Jeshua 215 

535.  The  second  temple 216 

Haggai  and  Zechariah 217 

LisVof  Persian  kings 217 

516.  Dedication  of  the  Temple...  217 
47S    (about).    Esther,    Mordecai, 

and  Haman 21S 


•158.  Second  caravan  under  Ezra.  218 

444.  Mission  of  Nehemiah 218 

Ezra  reads  the  Law 219 

Peopling  of  Jerusalem 220 

Dedication  of  the  Walls 220 

42S  (about).  Second   mission   of 

Nehemiah 220 

400  (about)  The  Prophet  Malachi  221 
End  of  the  Old  Testament..  221 
The  coming  Elijah 221 


CONTENTS. 


Mil 


PART  II. 

CONNECTION  OF  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS. 

B.C.  400-4. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Recovery  of  Jewish  Independence. — B.C.  400-106. 


B.C.  PAGE 

536-331.   Judaea  under  the   Per- 
sians   222 

Governed  by  high-priests. . .  223 
.Samaritan  temple  on  Mt.  Ge- 

rizim 223 

331.  Judaea  under  the  Ptolemies.  224 

The  Septuagint 224 

19S.  Judaea  under  the  Seleucids. .  225 


B.C.  FAGB 

165.  Persecution     of     Antiochus 

Epiphanes 225 

Revolt  of  Mattathias 226 

166.  Judas  Maccabseus 226 

161.  Jonathan  Apphus 228 

143.  Simon  Maccabseus 228 

142.  Epoch  of  Jewish  freedom.. .  228 
135-106.  John  Hyrcanus 220 


CHAPTER  XX. 
New  Kingdom  of  Jud.ea.— The  Asmon^eans  and  Herod.— B.C.  106-^. 


Name  and  parts  of  Judaea  . .  230 
106.  Aristobulus  I.  becomes  King  230 

105.  Alexander  Jannaeus 231 

78.  Alexandra 231 

63.  Pompey  takes  Jerusalem  . . .  231 
69.  Hyrcanus  II.  and  Aristobu- 
lus II 232 

Antipater  the  Idumaean 232 

Hyrcanus  II.  restored 232 

Judaea  subject  to  Rome 232 

Alexander,  son  of  Aristobu- 
lus II 232 

54.  Crassus  at  Jerusalem 232 


48.  Antipater  made  Procurator..   232 

Rise  of  Herod 232 

44.  Cassius  at  Jerusalem 232 

43.  Murder  of  Antipater 232 

41.  Antony  favors  Herod 233 

40.  Antigonus,  sou  of  Aristobulus  233 

37.  End  of  the  Asmouaeans 233 

Heeod  the  Geeat,  King 233 

His  policy  and  cruelties 234 

18-9.  Rebuilds  the  temple 234 

5-4.  Birth  of  Jr.sns  Cheist 235 

4.  Execution  of  Antipater 235 

Death  of  Herod 235 


PART  III. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

From  the  Nativity  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Destruction  op 
Jerusalem. — B.C.  4-A.D.  70. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Nativity  and  Eaej.y  Ministry  of  Jprug  Christ  to  his  First  Pass- 
over.— B.C.  4-A.D.  27. 


t.C.  PAGE 

Divisions  of  New  Testament 

History 236 

The  Four  Gospels 237 


B.C.  PAGE 

5.  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth 237 

5.  Annunciation  of  the  Virgin. .  238 
5.  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist 288 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


B.C.  PAGE 

5-4.  Birth  of  Jesus  Christ 238 

4.  Adoration  of  the  Magians. . . .  239 

4.  Flight  to  Egypt 239 

4.  Return  to  Nazareth 239 

4.  Family  of  Herod 240 

B.a  4  to  (Archelaus,    ethnarch)  0,n 

a.i>.  7    \    of  Judaea /  iw 

7-27.  Roman  Procurators 241 

„  „    a  tn  (Herod    Antipas,    te-) 

l«%oi     trar<*    of    Galilee  V  241 

A-D-  da  (    and  Peraea j 


PAGB 

4to  (Herod  Philip  II.,  te-) 

»  ;,%?1     trarch    of  Itura3a,V  241 
A.i).  dd  j     TrachontiS)  etc.       i 

a.d.  (Preaching  of  John    the\  041 

26.   \    Baptist j"  ^ 

20-7.  Baptism  of  Jesus 242 

26-7.  Temptation  in  the  Wilder- 
ness   242 

26-7.  Testimony  of  John 242 

26-7.  Christ's  first  disciples 243 

20-7.  First  miracle  at  Cana 243 

26-7.  Residence  at  Capernaum  . .  243 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

First  Year  of  Christ's  Public  Ministry.— From  uis  First  to  his  Second 
Passover.— A.D.  27-2S. 


A.n. 

27.  Jesus  appears  in  the  temple. .  245 

27.  Retires  from  Jerusalem 245 

27.  Imprisonment  of  John '_'4r> 

27.  Jesus  in  Samaria 246 

27.  Returns  to  Galilee 246 

27.  Second  Miracle  at  Cana 247 

27.  Preaches  first  in  Galilee 247 


A.D. 

27.  Rejected  at  Nazareth 248 

27.  Resides  at  Capernaum 248 

27.  The  Lake  of  Galilee 249 

27.  Call   of  Peter  and  Andrew, 

James  and  John 249 

27-28.  First  Circuit  of  Galilee....  251 
Various  kinds  of  Miracles 251 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Second  Year  of   Christ's  Ministry.— From  the  Second  to  the  Third 
Passover.— A.D.  28-29. 


28.  "  The  Feast  of  the  Jews  ". . . .  253 

28.  Miracle  at  Beth-esda 254 

28.  Jesus  and  the  Sabbath 254 

28.  Return  to  Galilee 255 

28.  The  twelve  apostles 256 

28.  Sermon  on  the  Mount 257 

28.  Jesus  and  the  Baptist..* 258 


28.  The  Christ  anointed 259 

2S.  Second  Circuit  of  Galilee 260 

28-29.  Third  Circuit  of  Galilee. . .  261 

29.  Death  of  John  the  Baptist. . .  263 
29.  Christ  withdraws  from  Herod  264 
29.  The  Loaves  and  Fishes 264 

Note:    On  Christ's  Parables.  264 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


The  Third  Year  of  Christ's  Ministry.- 
and  Last  Passover. 


-From  the  Third  to  the  Fourth 
-A.D.  29-30. 


29.  Offer  of  the  kingdom 207 

29.  Walking  on  the  waves 207 

29.  Jesus  in  Phoenicia  and  De- 

capolis 26S 

29.  Sign  of  the  prophet  Jonah . . .  20S 

29.  Jesus  at  Caesarea  Philippi 209 

29.  Confession  of  Peter 269 

29.  The  Transfiguration 270 

29.  Departure  from  Galilee 271 

29.  Last  visit  to  Samaria 272 

29.  The  seventy  disciples 272 


29.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles 272 

29.  Events  and  discourses 273 

29.  Feast  of  the  Dedication 274 

29.  Jesus  retires  to  Bethabara. . .  274 

29.  Raising  of  Lazarus 275 

29-30.  Jesus  in  Persea 276 

30.  Various  parables  and  miracles  277 

30.  The  blind  men  at  Jericho 277 

30.  Arrival  at  Bethany 277 

30.  Jesus  anointed  for  his  burial.  27T 


CONTENTS. 


xv 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  Passion  of  otra  Lord.— A.D.  30. 


A. P.  PAfiE 

S.      Apr.  1.  Entry  into  Jerusalem  279 

M.     Apr.  2.  Cleansing    the    tem- 
ple   2S0 

The  barren  fig-tree  .  2S0 
Tu.  Apr.  3.  Last    day    of "  public 

teaching 2S0 

Great  prophecy  of  the 
destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  end 

of  the  world 2S3 

Treason  of  Judas  ...  2«4 
W.    Apr.  4.  Day  of  retirement.. .  2S5 

Th.  Apr.  5.  The  Passover 285 

The  Lord's  Supper..  2S6 
Agony  in  the  garden  2S7 


A.D.  PAGB 

Betrayal  of  Christ.. .  287 

Denials  of  Peter 2S3 

Good-Friday,)  Trial  by  the  San- 
April  6.       f      hedi'im 2S8 

Trial  and  condemna- 
tion by  Pilate 289 

Fate  of  Judas 292 

Events  and  sayings 

at.  the  Crucifixion  .  292 
Certainty  of  Christ's 

death 29T 

The  entombment . . .  298 
S.  Apr.  7.  The  Sabbath— Easter 

Eve 298 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  Resurrection  and  Ascension  of  Christ. — A.D.  30. 


«?.     Apr.  17.  Easter -da  ii.  —First 

Lord's  Dan 299 

The  Resurrection...  300 


Various  appearances 

of  Christ 301 

Th.  May  IS.  His  ascension 390 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Tnu  CutiRCii   in   Palestine. — To  the  Martyrdom   or 

A.D.  30-37. 


St.  Stephen.  — 


SO.  The  Church  at  Jerusalem 

Election  of  Matthias 

S.  May  27.  Pentecost.— Whitsun- 
day  

Gift  of  Tongues 

State  of  theChurch 

Lame  man  healed 

Peter  and  John  before  the  San- 
hedrim   

Barnabas,  Ananias  and  Sap- 
phira 


307 
30S 

30s 
308 
309 
309 

309 

310 


Imprisonment  of  the  apostles  310 

Advice  of  Gamaliel 310 

Hebrews  and  Hellenists 311 

Institution  of  deacons 311 

Martyrdom  of  Stephen 312 

Saul's  persecution 312 

Dispersion  of  the  disciples. . .  312 

Samaria— Simon  Magus 313 

Conversion  of  the  Eunuch  . . .  313 

Political  changes 313 

Chronology  of  Paul's  Life 314 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


The  Gentiles  received  into  the  Church. — A.D.  37-50. 


Saul  of  Tarsus 315 

B7.  His     conversion     and     first 

preaching 318 

Escape  from  Damascus 319 

89.  First  visit  to  Jerusalem 319 

Rest  of  the  Jewish  churches.  320 

40.  Conversion  of  Cornelius 3'_'0 

Christians  at  Antioch 321 

41.  Herod  Agrippa  I 321 

44.  Martyrdom  of  James 322 

Escape  of  Peter 322 


Death  of  Herod 323 

Famine  in  Judaea 323 

Barnabas  and  Saul  at  Jerusa- 
lem   323 

4S^19  ?  First  missionary  journey 

of  Paul  and  Barnabas ".  324 

Troubles  from  Jndaizers 826 

50.  Council  at  Jerusalem 32(5 

Paul  and  the  other  apostles. .  32(5 
Paul  withstands  Peter 32«» 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

St.  Paul's  Second  Missionary  Journey,  and  the  Entrance  op  thb  Gospei 
into  Europe. — A.D.  51  to  54. 


A.D. 

61. 


PAGE 

Quarrel  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  328 
John  Mark,  Silas,  and  Luke. .  328  ! 

Ordination  of  Timothy 329 

Paul  in  Galatia  and  Mysia . . .  329 

Epistle  to  the  Galatians 329 

Call  to  Europe 330 

Events  at  Philippi 331 

Thessalonica  and  Beroea 332 

Discourse  at  Athena 332 


A.I>.  PAGB 

52.  Residence     at     Corinth     (IS 

months) 333 

Aquila  and  Priscilla 333 

Epistles  to  the  Tliessalonians. .  335 
Tumult  at  Corinth 335 

53.  Impartiality  of  Gallio 335 

53  or  54.  Voyage  to  Ephesus 335 

Visit  to  Jerusalem 336 

Felix  procurator 336 

51.  Accession  of  Nero 336 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

St.  Paul's  Third  Missionary  Journey. — His  Two  Imprisonments  at  Rome, 
and  his  Martyrdom. — With  Sequel. — A.D.  54-70,  etc. 


54.  Third  circuit  from  Autiocb  . .  337 

Troubles  in  Galatia 33T 

Apollos  at  Ephesus 337 

Paul  at  Ephesus  (3  years) ...     33S 
Epistles  to  the  Corinthians.. . .  338 

57.  Tumult  at  Ephesus 339 

Journey  through  Macedonia, 

etc 339 

57-58.  Stay  at  Corinth  (3  months)  339 
Pass,  to  (Incidentsof  the  voyage)    om 

Pent.    \    to  Jerusalem )    **" 

Arrest  in  the  temple,  etc 342 

Defense  to  the  people 342 

Paul  before  the  Sanhedrim...  343 

Sent  to  Csesarea 343 

Trial  before  Felix 343 

5S-60.  Imprisonment  at  Csesarea.  344 

60.  Festus  succeeds  Felix 344 

Paul  appeals  to  Caesar 344 

Paul  before  Agrippa  II 345 


His  voyage  and  shipwreck.. . .  346 

61.  Arrival  at  Rome  ...  348 

Conferences  with  the  Jews.. .  348 
They  reject  the  Gospel 349 

61-63.  First     imprisonment      at 

Rome 349 

63.  Paul  acquitted  by  Nero 349 

Epistlesto  theEphesians,  Pliile- 
■tiion,  the  Colossians,  the  Phi- 
lippians,  and  the  Hebrews..  350 

62.  Martyrdom  of  James  the  Just  350 

Sequel  of  Paul's  life 350 

His  Pastoral  Epistles 350 

60-08  ?  His  martyrdom 350 

Notice  of  St.  Peter 351 

Notice  of  St.  John 351 

70.  The  "  Coming  of  the  Lord  "in 
the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem a  tvpe  of  the  end  of  the 
world 352 


Tables  of  Weights,  Money,  and  Measures 353 


Index 358 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS. 


Jerusalem PEONr  tsPiEOE. 

Coin  of  Apamea,  in  Phrygia,  representing  the  Deluge Titi  k-Page. 

A  Shekel  of  the  Maccabees Page  vii. 

Tomb  of  Absalom "  xviii. 


PAGE 

Mount  Ararat 19 

Temple  of  Birs-nimrnd 29 

The  town  and  valley  of  Nablus 
from  the  south-western  flank 

of  Mount  Ebal 41 

Egyptian  sarcophagus 56 

Egyptian  archers 57 

Bronze  figure  of  Apis 6T 

Mount  Hor 76 

The  serpent  "  Cnepli  Agathoda> 

mon" 89 

The  golden  candlestick 90 

Plan  of  the  courtof  the  tabernacle     93 
Supposed  form  of  the  Altar  of 

Incense 95 

Sacred  Egyptian  boat  or  ark 111 

Jericho 112 

Goodly  Babylonish  garments 121 

Sacred,  symbolic  tree  of  the  Assyr- 
ians   122 

Assyrian  fish-god 139 

Assyrian  king  in  his  robes 140 

Rabbah,  the  chief  city  of  the  Am- 
monites   156 

Tomb  of  Darius  near  Persepolis.  167 
Ssbustiyeh,  the  ancient  Samaria.  174 


PAGE 

Statue  of  Shalmaneser  1 1S2 

Israelites  bringing    tribute    to 

Shalmaneser 1S3 

Jehu  doing  homage  to  Shalma- 
neser    192 

The  City  of  Lachish  repelling 

the  attack  of  Sennacherib 201 

The  Kasr,  or  remains  of  the  an- 
cient palace  at  Babylon 209 

Tomb  of  Cyrus  at  Murg-Aub 214 

View  of  the  Lake  of  Antioch 222 

Remains  of  arch  of  the  bridge  of 

the  temple 230 

Bethlehem 236 

Nazareth 244 

Map  of  Galilee 250 

Sea  of  Galilee 253 

Bethany 266 

Gethsemane 278 

Mount  of  Olives 299 

Jerusalem 307 

Tarsus 315 

Thessalonica 327 

Ruins  of  theatre  at  Ephesus 837 

Coin  with  image  of  Diana 339 

Ancient  ship 347 


B 


Tomb  of  Abialom. 


SCRIPTURE    HISTORY. 


Mount  Ararat. 

PART  I. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

FROM  THE  CREATION  TO  THE  COMPLETION  OP  THE  OLD 
TESTAMENT  CANON.— B.C.  4004  to  400. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM   THE    CREATION    TO    THE    DELUGE. B.C.  4004-2348. 

"In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth." 
Thus,  at  the  very  commencement  of  the  Bible,  we  are  taught  that 
the  world  has  not  always  been  in  existence,  but  that  it  was  made 
out  of  nothing  by  an  Almighty  God.  The  heaven  which  God  cre- 
ated is  that  which  we  see,  or  which  can  be  seen ;  the  earth  is  the 
globe  on  which  we  live.  Whatever  wonders  science  may  reveal  in 
heaven  or  earth,  the  simple  truth  remains  that  God  created  them  nlL 


20  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  I 

The  sacred  writer  next  describes  the  order  in  which  the  various 
portions  of  the  universe  were  made.  The  earth,  after  its  creation, 
was  for  a  long  time  in  a  formless  and  empty  state — "without 
form  and  void,  and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep."  The 
steps  by  which  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  one  after  the  other,  rose 
out  of  this  chaos,  are  arranged  in  periods  called  days.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  works  assigned  to  each  day  when  the  Spirit  of  God 
moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters  : 

On  the  First  Day  was  created  Light  (Gen.  i.  1-5). 

On  the  Second  Day— the  Firmament  or  Sky  (6-8). 

On  the  Third  Day — Dry  Land,  Herbs  and  Trees,  and  separation 

of  the  earth  from  the  sea  (9-13). 
On  the  Fourth  Day— Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars  (14-19). 
On  the  Fifth  Day— Fishes  and  Birds  (20-23). 
On  the  Sixth  Day— Animals  and  Man  (24-31). 
On  the  Seventh  Day  God  rested  from  His  work,  and  blessed  and 

sanctified  it  as  a  Sabbatli  or  day  of  rest  (ii.  2-3). 

After  the  earth  had  been  prepared  and  adorned  for  his  dwelling- 
place,  after  sky  and  earth  and  ocean  had  been  peopled  with  living 
creatures  for  his  use,  man  was  formed  of  the  dust  of  the  ground, 
and  God  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and  Man  be- 
came a  living  soul  (Gen.  ii.  7).  He  differed  from  all  other  crea- 
tures in  that  lie  was  made  in  the  image  and  after  the  likeness  of 
God — in  other  words,  in  that  he  possessed  an  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual nature.  God  gave  him  dominion  over  all  created  things,  and 
to  him,  and  to  the  animals,  the  plants  were  assigned  for  food.  The 
name  Adam,  bestowed  upon  the  first  man  by  the  Almighty,  had 
reference  apparently  to  the  ground  (Adamah)  out  of  which  he  was 
formed  ;  and  in  the  meaning  of  the  word  there  is  contained  the 
idea  of  redness  of  color. 

The  Lord  God  placed  the  man  whom  he  had  made  in  a  garden, 
in  the  region  of  Eden.  This  spot  was  probably  somewhere  among 
the  highlands  of  the  modern  Armenia,  south  of  the  Caucasus.  It 
was  watered  by  four  rivers — Pison,  Gihon,  Hiddekcl,  and  the  Eu- 
phrates. The  first  two  are  unknown  ;  the  third  was  no  doubt  the 
Tigris.  The  only  task  given  to  Adam  was  to  dress  and  keep  this 
garden.  Of  the  fruit  of  every  tree  therein  he  might  freely  eat,  with 
the  exception  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  Of  that 
God  said,  "  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it ;  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eat- 
est  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die."  Surrounded  as  he  was  by  liv- 
ing creatures,  man  was  yet  alone.  God  brought  them  all  before 
him  that  he  might  name  them,  which  shows  that  he  was  endowed 
at  his  creation  with  the  power  of  language  ;  but  for  Adam  no  help* 


B.C.  4004-2348.     CREATION  AND  TALL  OF  MAN.  21 

meet  for  him  was  found.  Then  the  Lord  God  caused  a  deep  sleep 
to  fall  upon  him  ;  and  while  he  slept,  he  took  one  cf  his  ribs,  of 
which  he  formed  a  woman,  and  brought  her  unto  liim.  And  when 
Adam  awoke  and  saw  her,  he  said,  "This  is  now  bone  of  my 
bones,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh  :  she  shall  be  called  Woman,  because 
she  was  taken  out  of  man  "  (Gen.  ii.  23).  This  was  long  after- 
wards used  by  our  Lord  as  a  reason  for  the  law  of  marriage,  which  is 
plainly  implied  in  the  fact  that  one  woman  was  created  for  one  man. 
"Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  his  mother,  and  shall 
cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh"  (Matt.  xix.  5). 

•  It  is  important  to  notice  that  the  two  ordinances  of  the  Sabbath 
and  of  Marriage  were  instituted  by  God  "in  the  time  of  man's  in- 
nocence." 

Eden  was  not  merely  the  blissful  abode  of  our  first  parents,  it  was 
also  the  scene  of  their  temptation  and  of  their  fall.  When  Adam 
was  first  placed  there,  and  commanded  not  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  a  restraint  was  laid  upon  his  appetite 
and  upon  his  self-will.  While  he  was  shown  by  this  prohibition 
that  he  was  to  live  under  a  law,  he  was  at  the  same  time  left  free 
either  to  obey  or  to  break  it.  Adam  and  Eve  had  not  long  been  in 
Eden  before  a  serpent — a  creature  well  known  as  the  type  of  the 
chief  of  the  fallen  angels — came  to  the  woman,  and  inquired  wheth- 
er God  had  really  told  them  not  to  eat  of  every  tree  of  the  garden. 
And  when  the  woman  replied  that  it  was  so,  he  invited  her  to  eat 
of  the  forbidden  fruit,  assuring  her  that  they  would  not  really  die; 
that  God  had  forbidden  them  to  touch  the  tree  of  knowledge  be- 
cause he  knew  that,  as  soon  as  they  did  so,  they  would  be  "as 
gods,  knowing  good  and  evil."  Whereupon  the  woman,  seeing  that 
"  the  tree  was  good  for  food,  and  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  a  tree 
to  be  desired  to  make  one  wise,"  believed  his  words,  and  "  took  of 
the  fruit  thereof,  and  did  eat,  and  gave  also  unto  her  husband  with 
her,  and  he  did  eat."  Thus  they  fell  into  the  threefold  sin  of 
sensuality,  pleasure,  and  ambition—"  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust 
of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life"  (1  John  ii.  16).  The  same 
threefold  appeal  of  the  tempter  to  the  infirmities  of  our  nature 
may  be  traced  also  in  the  temptation  of  Christ,  the  second  Adam, 
who  was  "in  all  points  likewise  tempted,  but  without  sin"  (lleb 
iv.  15).  Immediately  the  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened;  they 
perceived  that  they  were  naked,  and  made  themselves  aprons  of  fig- 
leaves.  Soon  afterwards  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God, 
and  hid  themselves  from  his  presence  among  the  trees  of  the  garden. 
But  the  Lord  culled  Adam,  and  said,  Where  art  thou?  Adam  re- 
plied, "I  heard  thy  voice,  and  I  was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked; 
and  I  hid  myself."  How  couldst  thou  kiiow,  said  the  Lord,  that 
thou   wast  niked  unless  thou  hadst   eaten  of  the  tree  of  which  I 


22  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  I. 

commanded  thee  not  to  eat?  Then  the  man  cast  the  blame  upon 
the  woman,  and  the  woman  upon  the  serpent,  and  God  proceeded 
to  award  a  righteous  sentence  to  each. 

i.  A  curse  was  pronounced  upon  the  serpent.  "  Upon  thy  belly 
shalt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  cat  all  the  days  of  thy  life.  And 
I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy 
seed  and  her  seed;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise 
his  heel "  (Gen.  iii.  14,  15). 

ii.  A  curse  was  pronounced  upon  the  woman.  In  sorrow  and  in 
multiplied  suffering  she  was  to  give  birth  to  ber  children.  And  as 
the  cause  of  his  fall,  henceforward  she  was  to  be  subject  to  her  hus- 
band.      At  first  she  was  his  equal  (Gen.  iii.  16). 

iii.  A  curse  was  pronounced  upon  the  man,  and  upon  the  ground 
also  on  his  account.  He  was  doomed  to  a  life  of  toil:  the  earth 
was  to  bring  forth  thorns  and  thistles,  and  in  the  sweat  of  his  face 
was  he  to  eat  bread  till  he  returned  to  the  ground  (Gen.  iii.  18,  10). 

They  had  also  incurred  by  their  disobedience  another  penalty, 
which  was  to  be  paid  at  a  later  period.  "Dust  thou  art,  and  unto 
dust  shalt  thou  return."  They  were,  however,  sent  forth  at  once 
from  the  Garden  of  Eden,  lest  they  should  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  and 
live  forever.  Cherubim,  armed  with  a  flaming  sword,  were  sta- 
tioned at  the  entrance  to  prevent  them  from  returning  to  taste  its 
fruit.  It  is  most  probable  that  the  "  coats  of  skins,"  with  which 
the  Lord  God  clothed  our  first  parents,  were  the  skins  of  animals 
slain  in  sacrifice.  Thus  early  was  man  taught  by  the  use  of  sacri- 
fice that  "  without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission"  of  sin 
(Heb.  ix.  22). 

The  curse  upon  tiie  serpent,  and  the  promise  to  the  woman  tlia' 
her  seed  should  bruise  his  head,  pointed  clearly  to  a  Redeemer,  who 
should  be  born  of  a  woman,  and  who,  after  suffering  from  the  ma- 
lignity of  the  Serpent — after  his  heel  had  been  bruised — should 
destroy  the  works  and  the  power  of  the  Devil.  Here  we  have  the 
first  projihecy  of  the  Messiah.  Henceforth  the  woman  lived  in  the 
expectation  of  the  promised  seed,  which  should  make  her  the  moth- 
er of  a  truly  living  race  ;  and,  to  signify  this  hope,  Adam  gave  her 
the  name  of  Eve  (Chavah,  that  is,  living").  Thus  already  life  began 
to  spring  from  death  (Gen.  iii.  20). 

After  their  banishment  from  Eden,  Eve  bore  her  first-born  son, 
and  named  him  Cain  (that  is,  gotten  or  acquired),  saying,  "I  have 
gotten  a  man  from  the  Lord."  Her  second  son  was  named  Abel 
(that  is,  breath,  transitoriness).  'Abel  was  a  keeper  (or  feeder)  of 
sheep,  but  Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the  ground."  In  course  of  time  it 
came  to  pass  that  they  offered  sacrifices  unto  the  Lord  :  Cain 
brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  ;  Abel  brought  of  the  firstlings 
of  his  flock  and  of  the  fat  thereof.      But  the  two  offerings  were  no/ 


B.C.  4004-2348.     ABEL  MURDERED  BY  CAIN.  23 

presented  in  the  same  spirit,  and  so  "the  Lord  had  respect  unto 
Abel  and  his  offering,"  but  Cain's  was  rejected  on  account  of  the 
state  of  mind  in  which  it  was  brought.  At  this  Cain  was  very 
wroth  and  unhappy.  "Why  art  thou  wroth?"  said  the  Lord  to 
him.  "If  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted?  and  if 
thou  doest  not  well,"  sin  lurketh  as  a  wild  beast  at  the  door,  seeking 
the  mastery  over  you,  but  thou  art  to  resist  and  subdue  it  (Gen.  iv. 
7).  Cain,  however,  could  not  pardon  his  brother  Abel  for  being  bet- 
ter than  himself,  and  when  they  were  in  the  field  together,  he  fell 
npon  him  and  slew  him.  Awful  is  it  to  remember,  that  the  first 
overt  act  of  sin  after  the  fall  was  a  brother's  murder;  but  he  who 
knew  what  was  in  man  has  testified  that  "  Whosoever  is  angry  with 
his  brother  without  a  cause"  (Matt.  v.  22)  has  already  broken  the 
spirit  of  the  Sixth  Commandment,  and  that  "Whosoever  hateth  his 
brother  is  a  murderer"  (1  John  iii.  15). 

This  first  crime  was  quickly  punished.  "  Cain,"  said  the  Lord, 
"where  is  Abel,  thy  brother?"  To  this  he  replied,  "I  know  not; 
am  I  my  brother's  keeper?"  But  God  said,  "What  hast  thou 
done?  thy  brother's  blood  crieth  unto  me  from  the  ground."  And, 
in  punishment  of  his  crime,  the  ground  was  cursed  for  him  again, 
and  henceforth  was  not  to  yield  her  strength  under  his  tillage :  "a 
fugitive  and  a  wanderer  was  he  to  be  upon  the  earth."  But  even 
in  this  renewal  of  the  curse  we  still  see  the  mercy  which  turns  the 
curse  into  a  blessing,  as  it  no  doubt  caused  the  family  of  Cain  to 
turn  their  attention  to  those  mechanical  arts  which  they  afterwards 
practiced  (Gen.  iv.  1-12). 

Cain  received  his  doom  in  a  hardened  spirit  of  impenitence,  and 
exclaimed,  "My  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear."  His 
great  fear  was  that,  when  driven  out  from  the  abodes  of  men,  and 
from  the  face  of  God,  every  one  who  found  him  should  slay  him. 
That  shall  not  be  so,  said  the  Lord.  And  he  set  a  mark  upon 
Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should  kill  him,  and  he  pronounced  a 
sevenfold  punishment  on  any  one  who  should  do  so. 

Cain,  having  gone  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  directed 
his  steps  to  the  east  of  Eden,  and  settled  in  the  land  of  Nod,  that 
is,  lanishvient.  There  he  built  a  city,  and  called  it  Enoch,  after 
his  first-born  son.  The  names  of  his  descendants  to  the  sixth  gen- 
eration were  Enoch,  Irad,  Mehujael,  Methusael,  and  Lamech. 
From  the  few  facts  recorded  about  them  we  learn  that  Lamech  set 
the  example  of  polygamy;  his  address  to  his  two  wives  (Gen.  iv. 
23,  24)  is  the  earliest  example  of  poetry,  and  it  also  shows  that  he 
committed  the  second  murder.  Of  his  three  sons,  Jabal  was  the 
first  wandering  herdsman ;  Jubal,  the  inventor  of  musical  instru- 
ments, both  stringed  and  wind;  and  Tubal-Cain,  the  first  smith. 

Dismissing  the  family  of  Cain,  the  sacred  writer  now  relates  the 


24  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Cn^r.  1 

history  of  the  chosen  race.  God  gave  to  Eve  another  son  instead 
of  Abel,  whom  Cain  slew  (Gen.  iv.  25),  who  was  hence  named  Seth 
(properly,  appointed).  His  birth  was  followed  by  that  of  other 
children.  Seth,  too,  had  a  numerous  posterity.  The  names  of 
Seth's  descendants  were  Enos,  Cainan,  Mahalaleel,  and  Jared,  of 
none  of  whom  are  any  particulars  recorded.  But  the  next  among 
the  descendants  of  Seth,  "  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,"  stands 
jonspicuous  as  one  who  walked  with  God — a  phrase  which  is  of:cn 
used  to  describe  a  life  of  close  communion  with  God.  When  he 
was  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  years  old  his  faith  was  rewarded 
by  a  special  favor.  "He  was  not ;  for  God  took  him"  (Gen.  v. 
24)  Of  the  meaning  of  this  phrase  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  leaves  no  doubt :  "  By  faith  Enoch  was  translated,  that 
he  should  not  see  death ;  and  was  not  found,  because  God  had  trans- 
lated him"  (Heb.  xi.  5).  In  his  case,  as  in  Elijah's,  the  miracle 
was  a  testimony  to  the  divine  mission  of  the  prophet.  Methuselah, 
the  son  of  Enoch,  is  noted  for  having  reached  the  greatest  age  of  any 
man  on  record.  He  lived  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years  :  his 
son  Lamech,  the  father  of  Noah,  died  five  years  before  the  Deluge. 

The  traditions  of  primeval  history  may  very  easily  have  been 
handed  down  by  a  few  generations  of  teachers.  Adam,  no  doubt, 
handed  down  to  Seth  and  his  posterity  the  promises  of  mercy  that 
had  been  given  to  him  by  God,  and  thus  they  were  easily  trans- 
mitted to  Noah,  from  Noah  to  Abraham,  and  from  Abraham  to 
Moses.  The  descendants  of  Seth  were  called  sons  of  God,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  descendants  of  Cain,  who  were  called  sons  of  men. 
The  former  were  a  people  of  simple  habits  and  religious  spirit— the 
latter  were  a  violent  and  godless  race. 

The  genealogies  of  the  two  races  of  Cain  and  Seth,  when  placed 
side  by  side,  are  as  follows  : 

At)  AM. 


Cain.  Seth. 

I  „.  I 

Enoch  (Chanoch).  Enos. 

I  I 

Irad.  Cainan. 

Mehujael.  Mahalaleel. 

Methiisael.  .Tared. 

Adah=Lamech=Zillah.  Enoch  (Chanoch^ 


jabaL  Jubal.      Tubal-Cahi.       Naamah.  Methuselah. 

I 
Lamech. 

i 
Noah. 


B.C.  4004-2348.         NOAH— THE  FLOOD.  25 

The  name  of  Noah  is  significant.  It  means  rest  or  comfort,  and 
Ida  father  gave  it,  saying,  "This  shall  comfort  us  concerning  oui 
work  and  toil  of  onr  hands,  because  of  the  ground  which  the  Lord 
hath  cursed  "  (_Gen.  v.  29).  These  words  seem  to  express  a  deeper 
weariness  than  that  arising  from  the  primal  curse,  from  which,  in- 
deed, the  age  of  Noah  brought  no  deliverance.  But  it  did  bring 
the  comfort  of  rest  from  the  wickedness  which  had  now  reached  ite 
greatest  height.  The  race  of  Seth  had  become  infected  with  the 
vices  of  the  Cainites.  This  seems  to  be  the  only  reasonable  sense 
of  the  intercourse  between  "the  sons  of  God"  and  "the  daughters 
of  men"  (Gen.  vi.  2).  The  family  of  Seth,  who  preserved  their 
faith  in  God,  and  the  family  of  Cain,  who  lived  only  for  this  world, 
had  hitherto  kept  distinct ;  but  now  a  mingling  of  the  two  races  took 
place,  which  resulted  in  the  thorough  corruption  of  the  former, 
who,  falling  away,  plunged  into  the  deepest  abyss  of  wickedness. 
We  are  also  told  that  this  union  produced  a  stock  conspicuous  for 
physical  strength  and  courage  (Gen.  vi.  4). 

God,  beholding  the  perverse  imaginations  of  the  human  race,  re- 
pented that  he  had  made  man,  and  said,  "I  will  destroy  man  and 
beast,  birds  and  reptiles,  from  the  face  of  the  earth."  Noah,  how- 
ever, found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord.  He  was  the  tenth  from 
Adam,  and  is  described  as  a  just  man  and  perfect  in  his  genera- 
tions. Like  Enoch,  he  testified  against  the  prevailing  wickedness, 
for  he  is  called  "  a  preacher  of  righteousness  "  (2  Pet.  ii.  5).  Hav- 
ing looked  upon  the  earth  and  seen  that  it  was  corrupt,  God  said  to 
him,  "  Make  thee  an  ark  of  gopher  (i.  e.,  cypress)  wood  for  the  sav- 
ing of  thyself  and  thy  house."  God  then  gave  him  instructions  as 
to  the  building  of  an  ark  capable  of  receiving  himself  and  his  fami- 
ly, with  two  of  every  species  of  living  creatures,  and  according  to  all 
that  God  commanded  him  so  did  he.1  For  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty years,  while  the  ark  was  preparing,  the  long-suffering  of  God 
waited,  but  in  vain,  as  if  hoping  for  some  improvement  in  the  pre- 
vailing wickedness  (I  Pet.  iii.  20).  Doubtless  Noah  continued  his 
"  preaching  of  righteousness  "  throughout  that  period,  but  his  work 
preached  louder  still.  Mankind  went  on,  however,  "eating  and 
drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark  "  (Matt.  xxiv.  38). 

At  length  the  flood  began.  Noah  was  six  hundred  years  old 
when  the  Lord  said  to  him,  "Come  thou  and  all  thy  house  into 
the  ark,  for  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  before  me  in  this  generation. 
Of  every  clean  beast  take  seven  couples,  and  of  beasts  that  are  not 
clean  take  two  couples,  and  of  birds  take  seven  couples,  to  keep  up 
their  race.  For  in  seven  days'  time  I  will  cause  it  to  rain  upon 
»  See  Note  oil  "  Noah's  Ark  "  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 


2G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  I. 

the  earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  and  I  will  destroy  all  the 
creatures  that  I  have  made  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth."  Noah 
obeyed,  and  entered  into  the  ark  with  his  wife,  and  with  his  three 
sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  and  their  wives,  and  the  Lord  shut 
him  in.  Seven  days  afterwards,  "the  fountains  of  the  great  deep 
were  broken  up,  and  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened."  For 
forty  days  and  forty  nights  the  rain  fell  upon  the  earth,  and  rose  to 
such  a  height  that  all  the  high  hills  and  the  mountains  were  fifteen 
cubits  (about  twenty-four  feet)  under  water.  "And  all  flesh  died 
that  moved  upon  the  earth."  Noah  and  those  that  were  witli  him 
in  the  ark  alone  remained  alive.  The  vast  expanse  of  water  was 
unbroken  save  by  that  floating  ark  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  days, 
or  five  months  (Gen.  vii.  1-24). 

Meanwhile  God  had  not  forgotten  Noah  and  those  that  were  with 
him  in  the  ark.  He  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  the  fount- 
ains of  the  deep  and  the  rain  from  heaven  were  restrained,  and  on 
the  seventeenth  day  of  the  seventh  month  of  the  six  hundredth  year 
of  Noah's  life,  the  subsiding  waters  left  the  ark  aground  upon  one 
of  the  mountains  of  Ararat,  that  is,  of  Armenia;  for  Ararat,  in  bib- 
lical geography,  is  the  name,  not  of  a  mountain,  but  of  a  district. 
More  than  two  months  later,  on  the  first  day  of  the  tenth  month, 
the  tops  of  the  mountains  appeared.  Forty  days  afterwards  Noah 
sent  out  a  raven,  which  did  not  return  to  the  ark.  Then  he  sent 
forth  a  dove,  whicli  found  no  resting-place,  and  came  back  again. 
In  another  seven  days  she  was  sent  out  again,  and  returned  with  an 
olive-leaf  in  her  bill,  a  sign  that  even  the  low  trees  were  uncovered, 
and  a  type  for  after  ages  of  peace  and  rest.  After  seven  days  more, 
the  dove  was  sent  out  again,  and  proved  by  not  returning  that  the 
waters  had  finally  subsided  (Gen.  viii.  1-12). 

In  the  waters  of  this  flood,  the  whole  human  race,  except  eight 
persons,  perished.  In  the  New  Testament  our  Lord  declares  that 
the  state  of  the  world  at  his  second  coming  shall  be  such  as  it  was 
in  the  days  of  Noah  (Matt.  xxiv.  37).  St.  Peter  sees  in  the  waters 
of  the  flood,  by  which  the  ark  was  borne  up,  a  type  of  the  waters 
of  baptism,  whereby  the  Church  is  separated  from  the  world  (1  Pet. 
iii.  21).  The  ark  itself  is  a  type  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  which 
alone  there  is  the  promise  of  salvation. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  six  hundred  and  first  year  of  Noah's  age, 
he  removed  the  covering  of  the  ark,  and  saw  that  the  surface  of  the 
ground  was  dry.  On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  the  second  month, 
after  having  been  in  the  ark  one  year  and  ten  days,  he  went  out  of 
it  by  the  command  of  God,  with  every  living  thing  that  was  with 
him.  His  first  act  on  leaving  the  ark  was  to  take  a  couple  of  every 
clean  bird  and  beast,  and  to  offer  them  as  a  burnt-offering.     This 


B.C.  4004-2348.     COVENANT  WITH  NOAH.  27 

sacrifice  was  acceptable  to  the  Lord,  and  He  promised  that  He  would 
not  any  more  curse  the  earth  or  destroy  the  creatures  that  dwelt 
upon  it  as  lie  had  done,  but  that  the  existing  course  of  nature— 
seed-time  and  harvest,  summer  and  winter — should  not  cease  as 
long  as  the  earth  remained  (Gen.  viii.  13-22). 

To  Noah  and  his  sons  God  then  repeated  the  blessing  pronounced 
on  Adam  and  Eve,  and  said,  "  Be  fruitful  and  multiply  and  re- 
plenish the  earth."  To  this  lie  added  that  the  inferior  creatures 
were  to  be  subject  to  them,  and  that,  in  addition  to  the  green  herb, 
they  might  have  the  animals  for  food  ;  but  the  eating  their  blood 
was  forbidden,  because  the  blood  is  the  life.  He  enacted,  also,  a  new 
law  against  murder.  The  first  murderer  had  been  driven  out  as  a 
vagabond  and  a  fugitive;  but  his  life  was  sacred.  Now,  howev- 
er, the  penalty  was  changed.  God  said,  "  Whoso  sheddeth  man's 
blood  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed."  This  law  amounts  to 
giving  the  civil  magistrate  "  the  power  of  the  sword"  (Rom.  xiii. 
■!).  Hence  we  may  consider  that,  in  addition  to  the  laws  of  the 
Sabbath  and  of  marriage,  which  were  revealed  to  Adam,  three  new 
precepts  were  given  to  Noah — namely,  the  abstinence  from  blood, 
the  prohibition  of  murder,  and  the  recognition  of  the  civil  authority 
(Gen.  ix.  1-7). 

In  addition  to  these  promises  and  precepts,  God  made  with  Noah 
a  Covenant,  which  may  be  called  the  covenant  of  God 's  forbearance, 
under  which  man  is  to  live  to  the  end  of  time.  As  a  token  of  the 
permanence  of  this  covenant,  he  gave  the  beautiful  sign  of  the  rain- 
bow in  the  cloud,  and  repeated  His  promise  that  the  world  should 
not  be  again  destroyed  by  a  flood  (Gen.  ix.  8-17). 

The  sons  of  Noah  that  went  forth  of  the  ark  with  him  were 
Shcm,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  and  from  them  the  whole  human  race  is 
descended.  Noah  began  his  new  life  as  a  husbandman  in  the  land 
of  Armenia.  Having  planted  a  vineyard,  as  he  was  one  day  drink- 
ing of  the  wine,  he  made  himself  drunk  in  his  tent — probably  from 
ignorance  of  its  properties — and  lay  exposed  in  the  presence  of  his 
sons.  Ham,  the  father  of  Canaan,  saw  and  told  his  father's  shame 
to  Shem  and  Japheth,  who  hastened  to  conceal  it  even  from  their 
own  sight,  turning  away  their  eyes  as  they  covered  him  with  a 
mantle.  On  coining  to  himself,  and  learning  the  conduct  of  Ham, 
he  pronounced  upon  his  race  a  curse,  and  upon  the  other  two  sons 
a  blessing.  "  Cursed  be  Canaan  ;2  a  servant  of  servants  shall  he 
be  unto  his  brethren."  And  he  said,  "Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 
of  Shem;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant.  God  shall  enlarge  Ja- 
pheth, and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem  ;  and  Canaan  shall 
be  his  servant"  (Gen.  ix.  18-27).  The  subsequent  history  of  Ca- 
2  Ham's  youngest  sou. 


28 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  I. 


tiaan  shows  in  the  clearest  possible  manner  the  fulfillment  of  the 
curse.  The  blessing  upon  Sbem  was  fulfilled  in  that  history  of  the 
chosen  race,  his  descendants,  which  forms  the  especial  subject  of 
the  Old  Testament.  The  blessing  upon  Japheth,  the  ancestor  of 
the  great  European  nations,  is  illustrated  in  their  subjugation  of 
Asia  and  Africa,  and  especially  by  the  wide-spread  diffusion  of  theii 
religion.     The  very  name  of  Japheth  means  enlargement. 

Noah  lived  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  the  Flood,  anc. 
."vas  nine  hundred  and  fifty  years  old  when  he  died  (b.c.  1998). 


NOTE  ON  NOAH'S  ARK. 


The  ark  was  to  be  made  of  gopher 
(i.  e.,  cypress)  wood,  a  kind  of  tim- 
ber which,  both  for  its  lightness  and 
its  durability,  was  employed  by  the 
Phoenicians  for  building  their  vessels. 
The  planks  of  the  ark,  after  being 
put  together,  were  to  be  protected  by 
a  coating  of  pitch,  or  rather  bitumen, 
which  was  to  be  laid  on  both  inside 
and  outside,  as  the  most  effectual 
means  of  making  it  water-tight.  The 
aik  was  to  consist  of  a  number  of 
"rooms"  or  "nests,"  i.  c,  compart- 
ments, with  a  view,  no  doubt,  to  the 
convenient  distribution  of  the  differ- 
ent animals  and  their  food.  These 
were  to  be  arranged  in  three  tiers, 
one  above  another;  "with  lower, 
second,  and  third  (stories)  shalt  thou 
make  it."  Means  were  also  to  be  pro- 
vided for  letting  light  into  the  ark. 
The  words — "a  window  shalt  thou 
make  to  the  ark,  and  in  a  cubit  shalt 
thou  finish  it  above  "—seem  to  imply 
>i  sky-light,  or  series  of  sky-lights,  a 
dibit  wide,  running  the  whole  length 


of  the  ark,  with  a  single  compart- 
ment which  could  be  opened  at  will. 
There  was  to  be  a  door  placed  in  the 
side  of  the  ark.  Of  the  shape  of  the 
ark  nothing  is  said ;  but  its  dimen- 
sions are  given.  It  was  to  be  300  cu- 
bits in  length,  50  in  breadth,  and  30 
in  height.  Taking  21  inches  for  the 
cubit,  the  ark  would  be  525  feet  in 
length,  ST  feet  G  inches  iu  breadth, 
and  52  feet  6  inches  in  height.  This 
i  <  very  considerably  larger  than  the 
largest  British  man-of-war.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  this  huge  struc- 
ture was  only  intended  to  float  on 
the  water,  and  was  not,  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  word,  a  ship.  It  had 
neither  mast,  sail,  nor  rudder  ;  it  was, 
in  fact,  nothing  but  an  enormous 
floating  house,  or  obloug  box  rather. 
Two  objects  ouly  were  aimed  at  in  its 
construction :  the  one  that  it  shcald 
have  ample  stowage,  and  the  other 
that  it  should  be  able  to  keep  stead? 
upon  the  water  (Gen,  vi.  14-9-2/, 


Temple  of  Birs-Ntmrutl 


CHAPTER  II. 

FROM  THE  DELUGE  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  ABRAHAM. B.C.  2348-1822. 

The  history  of  the  next  four  hundred  years,  from  the  Deluge  to 
the  Call  of  Abraham,  has  two  principal  features  of  interest :  the 
general  peopling  of  the  earth  by  the  descendants  of  Shem,  Hani, 
and  Japheth,  and  the  special  notices  that  are  given  us  of  the  descent 
of  the  chosen  race  from  Shem  down  to  Abraham. 

In  the  outline  of  the  population  of  the  world  given  in  Gen.  x., 
two  facts  are  prominent:  that  the  highlands  of  Armenia,  where 
Noah  came  forth  out  of  the  ark,  formed  the  primitive  seat  of  man- 
kind, and  that  the  nations  we./e  divided  into  three  races,  the  off-, 
spring  of  the  three  sons  of  Noah.  The  dispersion  of  these  nations 
from  this  region  to  their  subsequent  abodes  only  began  a  consider- 


30  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  II 

able  time  after  the  Deluge.  It  was  in  the  days  of  Releg,  the  fifth 
from  Noah,  that  the  earth  was  divided  (Gen.  x.  25).  Under  the 
pressure  of  necessity,  the  great  body  of  Noah's  offspring  left  the 
rugged  highlands  of  Armenia  in  search  of  a  better  soil  and  climate. 
"The  whole  earth  was  as  yet  of  one  language  and  of  one  speech," 
when,  "as  they  journeyed  eastward,  they  found  a  plain  in  the  land 
of  Shinar  (Babylonia),  and  dwelt  there."  Soon  the  idea  sprung  up 
in  their  minds  of  founding  a  universal  empire,  with  a  mighty  city 
for  its  capital.  "  Come,  said  they,  let  us  build  us  a  city  and  a 
citadel  with  its  top  (reaching)  to  heaven."  But  God  saw  the  dan- 
ger of  their  scheme,  and  defeated  their  design  by  confounding  their 
language,  so  that  they  could  not  understand  one  another's  speech. 
"  So  the  Lord  scattered  them  abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of 
all  the  earth  ;  and  they  left  off  to  build  the  city  "  (Gen.  xi.  1-8). 
This  event  probably  took  place  about  the  end  of  the  third  century 
after  the  flood.  The  different  peoples  thus  scattered  were  the  three 
races  by  whom  the  world  was  afterwards  overspread,  and  who  quick- 
ly lost  the  remembrance  of  their  common  origin.1 

From  the  confusion  of  tongues  the  city  was  called  Babel  (confu- 
sion) (Gen.xi.  !)),  and  at  a  later  period  became  famous  under  the 
Greek  name  of  Babylon.  The  ruins  which  form  the  Bi7-s-Nimrnd, 
or  "  Mound  of  Nimrod  "  (at  the  ancient  Borsippa,  near  Babylon), 
bear  an  inscription  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  telling  how  he  restored  an 
older  building  on  the  same  site,  the  sun-dried  clay  of  which  had 
been  dispersed  by  the  earthquake  and  the  thunder  "since  the  re- 
mote time"  when  "  people  had  abandoned  it,  without  order  exjness- 
inq  their  words."  Nimrod,  the  son  of  Ctish,  who  founded  the  first 
great  military  despotism,  made  Babel  his  capital;  he  built  also 
three  other  cities  in  the  plain  of  Shinar — namely,  Erech,  Accad,  and 
Calneh.  Thence  he  extended  his  empire  northward  along  the 
course  of  the  Tigris  over  Assyria,  and  founded  Nineveh,  with  three 
other  cities  (Gen.  x.  8-1 1). 

The  names  of  the  descendants  of  Shem  to  the  tenth  generation 
were  Arphaxad,  Salah,  Eber,  Peleg,  Rcu,  Serug,  Nahor,  and  Terah, 
who  was  the  father  of  Abraham,  Nahor,  and  Haran  (Gen.  xi.  26). 

The  world  soon  relapsed  into  idolatryand  profanencss  after  the 
Deluge.  Accordingly,  God  selected  out  of  the  race  of  Shem  a 
Family  from  which  the  promised  seed  of  the  woman  was  in  the 
fullness  of  time  to  spring,  and  which  should  meanwhile  preserve 
the  knowledge  and  worship  of  Himself.  The  patriarch  whom  God 
made  the  head  of  this  chosen  family  was  born  only  two  years  after 
the  death  of  Noah  (b.c.  1996).     His  name— Ab-kam  (father  of  ele- 

1  See  Note  "  On  the  Dispersion  of  the  Nations,"  at  the  end  of  this 
chapter. 


B.C.284S-1822.         CALL  OF  ABRAHAM.  31 

ration) — was  prophetic  of  his  calling  to  be  the  ancestor  of  a  race 
chosen  for  an  exalted  destiny.  Terah,  his  father,  was  the  ninth  of 
the  patriarchs  from  Shem  and  the  nineteenth  from  Adam,  and  it  ap. 
pears  from  Josh.  xxiv.  2  that  he  was  an  idolater.  His  genealogy, 
which  the  subsecuient  history  requires  to  be  most  clearly  understood,. 
is  as  follows  : 

GENEALOGY   OF    THE    FAMILY    OF   TERAH,    FATHER    OF    ABRAHAM 

Tep.au. 


Haran.         Milcah=Nahor.    (By  Hagar.)— ABRAM=Sarai  (aft.  Sarah). 
|  | |  (aft.  Abraham).  | 

Lot        Milcah,     Sarai        Bethuel.     Ishmael.  ISAAC=Rebekah. 

iy  his  two  m.  her  orlscah,  J j 

Jaughters).   uncle      m.  her            j"                  |  I 

J Nahor.     uucle        Laban.     Rebekah,    Esau  or  Edom.  JACOB. 

|               |             Abram.          |             married  I 

Amnion.    Moab.                          Leah          Isaac.  Twelve 

and  Rachel,  sons  and 

the  wives  one 

of  Jacob.  daughter. 

The  first  call  of  God  came  to  Abram  while  he  was  still  living  in 
the  house  of  his  father,  in  the  land  called  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  "when 
he  was  in  Mesopotamia,  before  he  dwelt  in  Charran"  (Gen.  xi.  28  ; 
Nehem.  ix.  7;  Acts  vii.  2).  He  was  upward  of  seventy  years  of  age 
when  Terah  removed  from  the  land  of  his  nativity  to  go  into  the 
land  of  Canaan  (Gen.  xi.  31).  He  went  forth  accompanied  by  his 
son  Abram,  Sarai,  Abram's  wife,  and  Lot  his  grandson,  and  took  up 
his  residence  in  Haran,  more  properly  called  in  the  New  Testament 
Charran  (Acts  vii.  4),  east  of  the  Euphrates.  Here  Terah  died, 
after  a  residence  of  some  years  (Gen.  xii.  5),  aged  two  hundred  and 
five  years.  All  we  know  of  their  original  abode  is  that  it  was  be- 
yond the  Euphrates,  in  some  part  of  Mesopotamia. 

Nahor,  Tcrah's  eldest  son,  settled  in  Haran,  attracted  probably 
by  the  fertility  of  the  country  ;  but  Abram,  immediately  on  his 
father's  death  (n.c.  1921),  proceeded  on  his  journey  towards  the 
land  of  Canaan,  with  his  wife  Sarai  and  his  nephew  Lot.  He  went 
out  from  his  country  and  from  his  kindred  into  a  land  that  God 
promised  to  show  him  (Gen.  xii.  1),  "  not  knowing  whither  he  went " 
(Heb.  xi.  8).  This  was  the  first  great  proof  he  gave  of  that  un- 
wavering faith  in  God  which  gained  him  the  title  of  the  Father  of 
the  Faithful  (Rom.  iv.  1 1).  He  was  now  seventy-five  years  old,  and 
this  is  the  period  usually  assigned  to  the  Call  of  Abraham.  God 
then  promised  him,  "  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will 


32  SCRIPTURE   HISTORY.  Chap.  II. 

bless  thee;  and  in  thee  shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 
The  last  words  contain  a  promise  of  the  Messiah. 

Abram  had  now  to  leave  Mesopotamia,  and  to  cross  the  "  Great 
River,"  the  Euphrates.  Hence  the  Canaanites  gave  him  the  name 
of  the  "Hebrew" — the  man  who  had  crossed  the  river.  Passing 
through  the  Great  Syrian  desert,  and  tarrying  probably  for  a  little 
while  at  Damascus,  at  length  he  crossed  the  Jordan,  and  entered 
'die  beautiful  valley  of  Moreh,  which  lies  between  the  mountains  of 
Ebal  and  Gerizim,  where  the  city  of  Shechem  was  not  long  after 
founded.  Here  he  made  his  first  encampment  in  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan. God  appeared  to  him  again,  and  said,  "Unto  thy  seed  will 
I  give  this  land."  Here  he  built  the  first  of  tho~>e  altars  to  the 
Lord,  which  the  patriarchs  erected  wherever  they  pitched  their 
tents.  Thus  Sichem  became  his  first  halting-place  in  the  Holy 
Land.  His  second  was  still  farther  south,  near  a  mountain  on  the 
east  of  a  place  then  called  Luz,  afterwards  named  by  Jacob  Bethel. 
The  pressure  of  famine  at  length  drove  him  out  of  the  Promised 
Land  into  Egypt,  and  for  a  while  his  faith  failed.  Fearing  that  the 
Egyptians  might  kill  him  to  obtain  possession  of  his  wife,  who  was 
"  a  fair  woman  to  look  upon,"  he  caused  Sarai  to  pass  for  his  sister. 
He  had  not  been  long  there  before  the  king  took  her  into  his  house, 
and,  for  her  sake,  heaped  extraordinary  favors  upon  her  pretended 
brother.  Warned  of  his  mistake  by  plagues  sent  upon  him  and  his 
household,  the  king  restored  Sarai  to  Abram,  and,  after  a  rebuke 
for  his  deceit,  he  sent  him  out  of  Egypt,  with  all  that  he  had  (Gen. 
xii.  10-20).  Abram  then  returned  with  Sarai  and  Lot  to  his  old 
encampment  near  Bethel,  where  he  again  "called  on  the  name  of 
the  Lord"  (Gen.  xiii.  4). 

Both  Abram  and  Lot  were  very  rich  in  flocks  and  herds,  and  as 
the  land  they  lived  in  was  insufficient  to  furnish  pasture  for  the 
cattle  of  both,  contentions  began  to  arise  between  their  herdmen. 
Abram  therefore  said  unto  Lot,  "Let  there  be  no  strife,  I  pray  thee, 
between  me  and  thee,  and  between  my  herdmen  and  thy  herdmen  ; 
for  wc  be  brethren."  He  then  gave  him  his  choice  of  the  whole 
country  that  lay  before  him.  Lot  chose  the  fertile  plain  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  watered  by  the  river  Jordan,  and  journeyed  east, 
leaving  his  uncle  on  the  barren  hills  of  Bethel.  After  his  separa- 
tion from  Lot,  Abram  received  his  reward  in  a  third  blessing  and 
promise  from  God,  who  said  to  him,  "Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and 
look  from  the  place  where  thou  art  northward,  and  southward, 
and  eastward,  and  westward :  for  all  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to 
thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  forever.  And  I  will  make  thy 
**ed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth  "  (Gen.  xiii.  14-16). 

Lot  pitched  his  tent  near  Sodom,  not  caring  for  the  fact  that 


B.C.  2348-1822.    BLESSING  OF  MELCHIZEDEK.  33 

the  men  of  Sodom  were  "  sinners  before  the  Lord  exceedingly." 
Abram  now  removed  to  the  oa/rs  of  Mamre  near  Hebron,  and  there 
built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  This  became  his  usual  abode.  Tho 
plain  of  the  Lower  Jordan  was  then  occupied  by  five  cities — Sodom, 
Gomorrah,  Admali,  Zeboiim,  and  Bela,  which  were  tributary  to 
Chedorlaomer,  king  of  Elam.  In  the  thirteenth  year  of  their  sub- 
ejection,  they  revolted  against  Chedorlaomer,  who  marched  against 
'them  with  three  allied  kings,  and  in  the  battle  that  ensued  the  five 
kings  were  defeated.  The  conquerors  then  proceeded  to  ravage 
'the  cities  of  the  plain,  and  Lot  and  his  family  were  among  the 
number  of  the  captives.  When  the  news  was  brought  to  Abram, 
he  took  "  his  trained  servants,  born  in  his  own  house,  three  hundred 
and  eighteen,"  sallied  forth  from  Mamre,  and  overtook  the  victors 
at  Dan  (Laish).  Dividing  his  band,  he  fell  upon  Chedorlaomer 
and  his  allies  by  night,  pursued  their  routed  forces  to  Hobah,  north 
of  Damascus,  and  rescued  Lot  and  his  family,  with  all  the  spoil 
(Gen.xiv.  1-16). 

On  the  return  of  Abram  from  this  expedition,  he  was  met  by 
Melchizedek,  king  of  Salem,  and  priest  of  the  most  high  God,  who 
"  brought  forth  bread  and  wine  and  blessed  him,"  and  said,  "Bless- 
ed be  Abram  of  the  most  high  God,  possessor  of  heaven  and  earth  " 
(Gen.  xiv.  18,  19).  And  Abram  gave  him  tithes  of  all  the  spoil. 
Who  this  Canaanite  was,  crossing  for  a  moment  the  path  of  Abram 
and  then  disappearing  as  suddenly  as  he  came,  is  a  question  in- 
volved  in  great  mystery.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  person  of 
higher  spiritual  rank  than  the  Father  of  the  Faithful,  and  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  he  is  regarded  in  his  priestly  office  as  a  type 
of  Christ  (Heb.  vii.  17.)  Abram  then  returned  to  his  tent  at 
Mamre,  and  Lot  went  back  to  Sodom. 

About  this  time,  apparently,  Abram's  faith  began  again  to  waver. 
His  heart  grew  faint  with  the  thought  of  promises  long  unfulfilled, 
and  hopes  unrealized.  He  said,  "Lord  God,  what  wilt  thou  give 
me,  seeing  I  go  childless?"  (Gen.  xv.  2.)  To  all  appearance,  his 
house-born  servant,  Eliezcr  of  Damascus,  would  be  his  heir.  He, 
said  the  Lord,  shall  not  be  thine  heir,  but  a  son  of  thine  own, 
"Look  now  toward  heaven,  and  tell  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to 
number  them  :  and  He  said  unto  him,  So  shall  thy  seed  be.  And  he 
believed  in  the  Lord;  and  he  counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness" 
(Gen.  xv.  5,  6).  Though  Abram  was  now  eighty-five  years  old,  and 
Sarah  turned  of  seventy-four,  yet  he  was  told  that  he  should  have 
a  son  in  his  old  age ;  and  "he  staggered  not  at  the  promise  of  God 
through  unbelief,  but  was  fully  persuaded  that  what  He  had  prom- 
ised He  was  able  also  to  perform  "  (Rom.  iv.  20,  21).  This  protr  - 
we,  that  his  own  son  should  be  his  heir,  God  vouchsafed  to  confirm 

C 


34  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  II. 

and  to  ratify  by  a  sign  and  by  a  covenant.  On  the  same  day,  Abram 
was  directed  to  offer  a  special  sacrifice,  and  he  remained  near  the 
altar  to  drive  away  the  fowls  from  the  victims.  When  the  sun  be- 
gan to  go  down,  "a  deep  sleep,  and  lo!  horror  and  great  darkness 
fell  upon  him."  Then  it  was  that  God  revealed  His  intentions  to 
him  more  plainly  than  He  had  yet  done.  "  Know,"  He  says,  "  of 
a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall  be  a  stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not 
theirs,  and  shall  be  afflicted  four  hundred  years.  That  nation 
whom  they  shall  serve  will  I  judge,  and  afterward  shall  they  come 
out  with  great  substance.  And  thou  shalt  go  to  thy  fathers  in 
peace  ;  thou  shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age."  After  this  vision, 
Abram  saw  a  smoking  furnace  and  a  burning  lamp  pass  between  the 
severed  parts  of  the  victims  sacrificed  to  ratify  the  new  covenant 
between  God  and  him.  The  Lord  then  added,  "  Unto  thy  seed 
have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the  great  river, 
the  river  Euphrates"  (Gen.  xv.  18).  At  a  later  period,  when  this 
covenant  was  renewed,  the  sign  of  circumcision  was  added  thereto. 

Sarai,  being  considered  barren,  gave  Abram  her  handmaid  Ha- 
gar,  an  Egyptian,  for  his  concubine,  and  she  bore  him  a  son.  But, 
before  the  child  was  born,  the  insolence  of  Hagar  provoked  the 
jealousy  of  Sarai,  who  treated  her  handmaid  so  hardly  that  she  fled 
away  into  the  desert  which  lies  between  the  land  of  Canaan  and 
Egypt.  Here  the  angel  of  the  Lord  found  her  by  a  fountain  of 
water,  and,  while  bidding  her  to  return  and  submit  to  her  mistress, 
he  encouraged  her  by  the  promise  of  a  numerous  offspring.  "Be- 
hold," he  says,  "thou  shalt  bear  a  son,  and  shalt  call  his  name 
Ishmael  "  (that  is,  God  shall  hear)  ;  and  lie  foretold  his  character 
and  destiny  in  words  which  to  this  day  describe  the  Bedouin  Arabs 
who  are  descended  from  him  :  "  He  will  be  a  wild  man  ;  his  hand 
will  be  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  him,  and 
he  shall  dwell  in  the  face  of  all  his  brethren,"  that  is,  to  the  east 
of  the  kindred  tribes  sprung  from  Abraham. 

The  birth  of  Ishmael  took  place  when  Abram  was  eighty-six 
years  old  (b.c.  1910)  ;  but  he  had  to  wait  fourteen  years  longer  be- 
fore the  true  child  of  promise  was  born.  In  Abram's  ninety-ninth 
^ear,  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  by  the  name  of  "  the  Almighty 
God,"  and  renewed  His  former  covenant  with  him,  changing  his 
name  from  Ab-ram  (exulted  father)  to  Ab-raham  (father  of  a  mul- 
titude), and  appointing  the  rite  of  circumcision  as  a  sign  of  the 
covenant  between  Himself  and  Abraham  and  his  posterity.  "  I 
will  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  "  (Gen.  xvii.  1- 
7).  Abraham  was  then  commanded  to  circumcise  all  the  males 
of  his  family,  and  in  future  the  rite  was  to  be  performed  on  chil- 
dren eight  days  after  their  birth,  and  on  slaves  when  they  were 


B.C.  2348-1822.    BIRTH  OF  ISAAC  FORETOLD.  36 

purchased.  And  God  said  unto  Abraham,  "As  for  Sarai  thy  wife, 
thou  shalt  not  call  her  name  Sarai  (my  princess),  but,  Sarah  (prin- 
cess) shall  her  name  be."  God  then  told  him  that  she  should  bcai 
him  a  son,  who  should  be  named  Isaac  (laughter),  because  Abra- 
ham had  laughed  for  joy  and  Sarai  from  incredulity,  when  the  an- 
nouncement was  made  to  him.  On  the  same  day  Abraham,  with 
his  son  Ishmael,  and  all  the  males  in  his  house,  were  circumcised. 

Shortly  after  this,  Abraham  was  honored  with  a  still  more  re- 
markable  visitation.  As  he  was  one  day  sitting  at  his  tent  door 
under  the  oak  of  Mamre,  he  beheld  afar  off  three  men,  and  when 
he  saw  them  he  ran  to  meet  them.  Bowing  himself  towards  the 
ground,  he  said,  "  My  Lord,  if  now  I  have  found  favor  in  thy  sight, 
pass  not  away,  I  pray  thee,  from  thy  servant.  Let  a  little  water, 
I  pray  you,  be  fetched,  and  wash  your  feet,  and  rest  yourselves  un- 
der the  tree.  And  I  will  fetch  a  morsel  to  comfort  your  hearts ; 
after  that  ye  shall  pass  on.  And  they  said,  So  do,  as  thou  hast 
said  "  (Gen.  xviii.  3-5).  While  the  three  heavenly  guests  were  eat- 
ing, he  stood  by  them  under  the  tree,  and  they  said  unto  him, 
Where  is  Sarah  thy  wife  ?  In  my  tent,  he  replied.  One  of  them 
then  informed  the  patriarch  that  within  a  year  Sarah  should  have 
a  son.  Sarah,  who  was  sitting  just  inside  the  tent,  heard  what 
passed,  and  laughed  to  herself  incredulously.  After  rebuking  Sa- 
rah for  her  want  of  faith,  and  repeating  the  promise,  two  of  the 
angels  went  on  in  advance  towards  Sodom,  and  'Abraham  was  left 
standing  alone  with  the  Lord."  This  last  was,  no  doubt,  the  "An- 
gel Jehovah,"  the  "Word  of  God"  through  whom  God  spake  to 
the  fathers  ;  the  other  two  were  perhaps  attendant  angels.  As 
Abraham  brought  them  on  their  way,  the  Lord  told  him  that  be- 
cause "the  cry  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  was  great,  and  their  sin 
very  grievous,"  he  was  about  to  destroy  them  for  their  wickedness. 
Then  follows  that  wondrous  pleading  in  which  he  who  was  "but 
dust  and  ashes"  took  upon  himself  to  speak  with  God,  and  obtained 
a  promise  that  the  guilty  cities  should  be  pardoned,  if  but  fifty; 
then  if  forty-five ;  and  so  on  down  to,  if  only  ten  righteous  men 
were  found  in  them.  "The  Lord  then  went  on  his  way,  and  Abra- 
ham returned  to  his  place  "  (Gen.  xviii.  G-33). 

Towards  evening,  the  two  angels  came  to  Sodom.  Lot  was  then 
Bitting  at  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  he  rose  up  to  meet  them,  and 
invited  them  to  tarry  with  him  all  night.  At  first  they  declined 
his  invitation,  but  at  length  yielded,  and  entered  with  him  into  his 
house,  where  "  he  made  them  a  feast,  and  baked  unleavened  bread, 
and  they  did  eat."  But  before  they  lay  down  the  house  was  be- 
sieged by  the  men  of  the  city  for  wicked  purposes.  The  angels 
having  smitten  the  men  at  the  door  of  the  house  with  blindness,  said 


3G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORT.  Chap.  II. 

to  Lot,  "Whatsoever  tlion  hast  in  the  city,  bring  them  out  of  this 
place,  because  the  cry  of  them  is  waxen  great  before  the  face  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  Lord  hath  sent  us  to  destroy  it."  Lot  told  his  sons- 
in-law  of  the  impending  destruction  of  the  place,  but  they  despised 
his  warning.  He  himself,  with  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  was  re- 
luctantly dragged  from  the  devoted  city ;  and  in  answer  to  his  en- 
treaties that  one  of  the  five  cities  might  be  preserved  as  his  abode, 
because  it  was  but  a  little  one,  he  was  allowed  to  take  refuge  in 
Bela,  thence  called  Zoar,  that  is,  little.  His  wife,  looking  back 
from  behind  him,  became  a  pillar  of  salt.  When  Abraham  arose 
early  in  the  morning,  and  looked  towards  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
"lo,  the  smoke  of  the  country  went  up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace." 
God,  however,  when  he  destroyed  the  cities  of  the  plain,  remember- 
ed Abraham,  and  on  his  account  Lot  was  saved.  The  plain  in 
which  these  cities  stood,  hitherto  fruitful  "as  the  Garden  of  Jeho- 
vah," became  henceforth  a  scene  of  perfect  desolation  (Gen.  xix.). 

After  a  long  residence  at  Mamre,  Abraham  once  more  set  forth 
upon  his  wanderings,  and,  "turning  toward  the  south  country,  he 
sojourned  in  Gerar"  (Gen.  xx.  1),  a  place  in  the  land  of  the  Phi- 
listines. Here  the  deceit  which  he  had  formerly  put  upon  Pha- 
raoh, by  calling  Sarah  his  sister,  was  acted  again,  and  with  the  like 
result.  Sarah  was  carried  off  by  Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar,  who 
thought  that  she  was  unmarried  and  the  patriarch's  sister.  Dis- 
covering his  mistake,  having  been  warned  thereof  by  God  in  a 
dream,  he  restored  her  to  her  husband,  and  gave  him  valuable 
presents.  A  dispute  subsequently  arose  between  Abraham  and 
Abimelech  respecting  a  well  in  the  neighborhood.  This  led  to  a 
treaty  between  them,  whence  the  well  was  called  "  Beer-sheba,"  or 
the  u-ell  of  the  oath,  "because  there  they  swore  both  of  them" 
(Gen.  xxi.  31).  At  this  place  Abraham  and  his  descendants  dwelt 
for  a  long  time.  It  was  situated  on  the  borders  of  the  Desert,  and 
continued  till  the  latest  times  to  be  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
Holy  Land. 

It  was  during  his  abode  at  Beer-sheba  that  Sarah  "bare  Abra- 
ham a  son  in  his  old  age,"  when  he  himself  was  a  hundred  years 
aid  (Gen.  xxi.  5).  The  child  was  named  Isaac.  At  the  great 
feast  made  in  celebration  of  the  weaning,  Sarah  saw  Ishmael,  the 
son  of  Hagar  the  Egyptian,  mocking.  "Cast  out  this  bondwoman 
and  her  son,"  she  said  to  Abraham,  "  for  the  son  of  this  bondwom- 
an shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son  Isaac."  Her  request  was  very 
grievous  to  the  patriarch  ;  but,  comforted  by  God's  renewed  prom- 
ise that  of  Ishmael  he  would  make  a  nation,  he  gave  Hagar  some 
bread  and  a  bottle  of  water,  and  sent  her  away  with  the  child ;  and 
they   departed   and   wandered   in    the    wilderness   of  Beer-sheba. 


B.C.  2348-1822.     ISAAC  TO  BE  SACRIFICED.  37 

Here  her  supply  of  water  was  quickly  spent,  and  as  it  seemed  that 
her  boy  must  soon  die  of  thirst,  she  laid  him  down  under  the  shade 
of  one  of  the  desert  shrubs,  and  went  and  sat  down  a  good  way  off 
from  him,  and  wept  aloud.  "Let  me  not  see  the  death  of  the 
child,"  she  said.  The  cries  of  the  lad  and  of  his  mother  were 
heard  in  heaven,  and  the  angel  of  God,  calling  to  her  "  What  aileth 
thee,  llagar  ?  fear  not,"  renewed  the  promise  already  thrice  given, 
"I  will  make  him  a  great  nation;"  and  God  opened  her  eyes  and 
she  saw  a  well  of  water.  And  God  was  with  the  lad  ;  and  he  grew, 
and  dwelt  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  and  became  an  archer  ;  and 
when  he  was  of  a  suitable  age,  his  mother  took  him  a  wife  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt  (Gen.  xxi.  9-21). 

Henceforward  the  history  of  Abraham  is  intertwined  with  that 
of  Isaac,  of  whom  it  was  said,  "In  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called" 
(Gen.  xxi.  12).  God  had  yet  a  crowning  trial  to  make  of  the  pa- 
triarch's faith  and  obedience.  When  Isaac,  the  son  of  his  old  age, 
was  about  twenty-five  years  old,  God  said  to  Abraham,  "Take 
now  thy  son,  thine  only  son  Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest,  and  get  thee 
into  the  land  of  Moriah  ;  and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt-offering 
upon  one  of  the  mountains  which  I  will  tell  thee  of."  According- 
ly Abraham  "rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  saddling  his  ass, 
took  two  of  his  young  men  with  him,  and  Isaac  his  son,  and  wood 
for  the  burnt-offering,  and  went  unto  the  place  of  which  God  had 
told  him."  On  the  third  day  of  his  journey,  lie  saw  afar  off  the 
spot  appointed  for  this  awful  sacrifice.  "Abide  ye  here  with  the 
ass,"  he  said  to  his  young  men,  "  while  I  and  the  lad  go  yonder  and 
worship."  Then  laving  the  wood  for  the  burnt-offering  upon 
Isaac  his  son,  and  taking  with  him  fire  and  a  knife,  they  went  for- 
ward together.  "My  father,"  said  Isaac,  "behold  the  fire  and 
the  wood  :  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  a  burnt-offering  ?"  "  My  son," 
said  Abraham,  "  God  will  provide  himself  a  lamb  for  a  burnt-offer- 
ing." At  length  they  reached  the  place  which  God  had  told  him 
of;  and  then,  no  dotibt,  the  patriarch  explained  to  his  son  that 
he  was  himself  the  destined  victim.  The  altar  was  built  and  the 
wood  laid  in  order  upon  it ;  Abraham  then  bound  Isaac  his  son,  and 
laid  him  on  the  altar  upon  the  wood,  and  stretching  forth  his  hand, 
he  took  the  knife  to  slay  his  son.  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called 
unto  him  out  of  heaven,  and  said,  "Abraham,  Abraham,  lay  not 
thine  hand  upon  the  lad,  neither  do  thou  any  thing  unto  him,  for 
now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son,  thine  only  son,  from  me."  Abraham,  on  lifting  up  his  eyes,  be- 
held "a  ram  caught  in  a  thicket  by  his  horns,  and  he  took  the  ram 
and  offered  him  up  for  a  burnt-offering  in  the  stead  of  his  son." 
\s  a  reward  for  his  obe.lienet,  God  once  more  renewed  his  cove- 


38  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  II. 

nant  with  his  posterity,  and  for  the  first  time  confirmed  it  with  an 
oath.  "By  myself  have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord,  that  in  blessing 
I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as 
the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  as  the  sand  upon  the  sea-shore.  And 
in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed ;  because 
thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice."  Abraham  then  returned  with  Isaac 
unto  his  young  men,  and  went  back  to  his  dwelling-place  at  Beer- 
sheba  (Gen.  xxii.  1-10). 

After  this  twelve  years  passed  away,  during  which  Abraham 
must  have  removed  from  Beer-sheba  to  his  old  home  at  Hebron. 
There  Sarah  died,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven. 
After  mourning  for  her,  the  patriarch  bought  for  four  hundred  shek- 
els of  silver,  of  Ephron,  one  of  the  sons  of  Heth,  the  cave  of  Mach- 
pelah  (or  the  Double  Cure)  as  a  burying-place,  close  to  the  oak 
of  Mamre,  with  the  field  in  which  it  stood"  (Gen.  xxiii.  16-20). 
Here  lie  buried  Sarah  ;  here  he  Mas  himself  buried  by  his  sons 
Isaac  and  Ishmael;  here  they  buried  Isaac  and  Rebecca  his  wife, 
Jacob  and  his  wife  Leah,  and  it  formed,  perhaps,  the  final  resting- 
place  of  the  bones  of  Joseph.  The  sepulchre  still  exists  under  the 
mosque  of  Hebron,  and  was  first  permitted  to  be  seen  by  Europe- 
ans, since  the  Crusades,  when  it  was  visited  by  the  Prince  of  Wales 
in  18G2. 

After  the  burial  of  Sarah,  Abraham  returned  to  Beer-sheba. 
His  last  care  was  for  the  marriage  of  his  son  Isaac  to  a  wife  of  his 
own  kindred,  and  not  to  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites. 
Calling  to  him  "the  oldest  servant  of  his  house,"  he  made  him 
"swear  by  the  Lord,  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,"  not  to  take  a 
wife  for  his  son  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites  among  whom  he 
dwelt,  but  to  go  unto  his  own  country  and  kindred,  and  take  a  wife 
unto  his  son  Isaac.  The  servant  set  forth  on  his  journey  to  Haran, 
in  Mesopotamia,  where  Abraham  sixty-five  years  before  had  dwelt 
with  his  father  Terah,  and  where  his  brother  Nahor  had  settled. 
It  was  towards  evening  when  he  reached  the  place  of  his  destina- 
tion. "O  Lord  God  of  my  master  Abraham,"  he  prayed,  "send 
me  good  speed  this  day,  and  show  kindness  unto  my  master." 
And  he  asked  the  Lord  to  point  out  by  a  certain  sign  the  person 
he  sought.  He  was  yet  speaking  when  Rebekah,  the  daughter  of 
Bethuel,  son  of  Nahor,  Abraham's  brother,  came  out  to  draw  water 
from  the  well.  She  had  filled  her  pitcher  and  was  returning,  when 
Abraham's  servant  met  her,  and  said,  "Let  me,  I  pray  thee,  drink 
a  little  water  of  thy  pitcher."  "Drink,  my  lord,"  she  said.  She 
afterwards  gave  his  camels  water.  The  servant  then  gave  her  a 
golden  ear-ring  and  two  bracelets  of  gold,  asking  her  at  the  same 
time  whose  daughter  she  was.      When  he  found  that  she  was  the 


B.C.  2348-1822.      DEATH  OF  ABRAHAM.  3'J 

very  person  that  lie  had  come  to  seek,  the  man  bowed  down  his 
head  and  worshipped  the  Lord.  "Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  my 
master  Abraham,"  he  said,  "  who  hath  led  me  to  the  house  of  my 
master's  brethren."  Rebekah  had  a  brother  named  Laban,  who 
went  out  to  the  well  to  meet  the  man,  and  asked  him  to  his  house. 
There  the  servant  quickly  told  his  errand.  As  there  were  evident 
traces  of  God's  guidance  in  the  matter,  Bethuel  soon  consented  to 
let  his  daughter  go,  and  the  next  morning  they  sent  away  Rebekah 
mil  her  nurse  mounted  on  camels,  with  Abraham's  servant  and  his 
men,  blessing  her  and  saving  to  her,  "Be  thou  the  mother  of  thou- 
sands of  millions,  and  let  thy  seed  possess  the  gate  of  those  which 
hate  them."  It  was  even-tide  when  they  drew  near  to  the  tent  of 
Isaac,  who  dwelt  by  the  well  of  Lahai-roi,  in  the  extreme  south  of 
Palestine.  He  had  gone  forth  into  the  field  to  meditate;  on  lift- 
ing up  his  eyes  he  saw  the  camels  coming,  and  went  at  once  to 
meet  them.  When  Rebekah  saw  Isaac,  she  dismounted  from  her 
camel  and  covered  herself  with  a  veil.  On  learning  from  the  serv- 
ant all  the  tilings  that  he  had  done,  Isaac  "  took  her  to  his  mother's 
tent,  and  she  became  his  wife.  And  he  loved  her,  and  was  com- 
forted after  his  mother's  death  "  (Gen.  xxiv.  1-67) 

Soon  after  Isaac's  marriage,  Abraham  took  another  wife,  whose 
name  was  Keturah.  By  her  he  had  six  sons,  who  became  the 
founders  of  Arabian  tribes.  During  his  lifetime,  however,  he  en- 
riched them  all  with  presents,  and  sent  them  away,  like  Ishmael, 
to  dwell  eastward  of  Beer-sheba,  lest  any  of  them  should  settle  in 
the  land  of  Canaan  and  dispute  the  destined  inheritance  of  his  son 
Isaac.  To  him  Abraham  gave  all  his  great  wealth,  and  died,  ap- 
parently at  Beer-sheba,  "in  a  good  old  age,  an  old  man  and  full 
of  years,"  his  age  being  one  hundred  and  seventy-five.  His  sons 
Isaac  and  Ishmael  met  at  his  funeral,  and  buried  him  in  the  cave 
of  Machpelah,  by  the  side  of  Sarah  his  wife  (Gen.  xxv.  1-10). 

The  events  in  Abraham's  life  which  rendered  this  patriarch  most 
remarkable  were,  (1)  his  obedience  to  the  command  of  God  in  leav- 
ing his  native  country  ;  (2)  his  believing  that  he  should  possess  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  be  the  father  of  a  great  nation;  and  (3)  his 
offering  up  his  son  Isaac.  Abraham  was  the  father  of  the  faith" 
ful:  his  character  was  fully  displayed  in  his  faith.  The  Almighty 
ieigned  to  be  called  the  God  of  Abraham  ;  and  in  this  designation 
our  Lord  found  one  of  his  proofs  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 


40 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  II. 


NOTE  ON  THE  DISPERSION  OF  THE  NATIONS. 

(Genesis  x.) 


The  three  rates  descended  from  the 
three  sous  of  Noah  were  distributed 
in  the  following  maimer  : 

1.  The  territories  of  Japuetu  lie 
chiefly  on  the  coasts  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, in  Europe  and  Asia  Minor, 
"  the  isles  of  the  Gentiles  ;"  but  they 
also  reach  across  Armenia  and  along 
the  north-eastern  edge  of  the  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  valley,  over  Media  and 
Persia.  The  race  spread  westward 
and  northward  over  Europe,  and  at 
the  other  end  as  far  as  India,  embrac- 
ing the  great  Indo-European  family 
of  languages.  This  wide  diffusion 
was  prophetically  indicated  by  the 
very  name,  Japheth  (enlarged),  and 
by  the  blessing  of  his  father  Noah 
(Gen.  ix.  27).  Among  his  children, 
Javan  is,  in  its  old  Hebrew  form,  the 
same  word  as  the  Greek  Inn;  and 
of  his  progeny,  Tarshish  is  probably 
identified  with  the  people  of  southern 
Spain,  Madai  probably  represents  the 
Medes,  and  Oomer  the  Cimmerians. 

2.  The  race  of  Sitbm  occupied  the 
Bonth-westem  corner  of  Asia,  includ- 
ing the  peninsula  of  Arabia.  Of  his 
five  sons.  Arphaxad  is  the  progenitor 
both  of  the  Hebrews  and  of  the  Arabs 
and  other  kindred  tribes,  whose  ori- 
gin is  recorded  in  the  book  of  Gene- 


sis. North  of  them  were  the  children 
of  Aram  (which  signifies  hitjh),  in  the 
highlands  of  Syria  and  Mesopotamia. 
Asshur  evidently  represents  Assyria , 
and  the  eastern  and  western  extremi- 
ties were  occupied  by  the  well-known 
nations  of  the  Elyrnoeans  (children  of 
Elam),  on  the  south-eastern  margin 
of  the  valley  of  the  Tigris,  and  the 
Lydians  (children  of  Lud),  in  Asia 
Minor. 

3.  The  race  of  Ham  (the  swarthy, 
according  to  the  most  probable  ety- 
mology) had  their  chief  seat  in  Afri- 
ca, but  they  are  also  found  mingled 
with  the  Semitic  races  on  the  shores 
of  Arabia,  and  on  the  Tigris  and  Eu- 
phrates ;  while  on  the  north  they 
extended  into  Palestine  (the  laud  of 
the  Philistines),  Asia  Minor,  and  the 
larger  islands,  as  Crete  and  Cyprus. 
In  Africa,  Mizraim  is  most  certainly 
identified  with  Egypt;  Cush  with 
Ethiopia,  above  Egypt ;  and  Phut 
probably  with  the  inland  peoples  to 
the  west.  Amoug  the  sons  of  Mizra- 
im, the  Lubim  correspond  to  Libya; 
and  those  of  Cush  represent  tribes 
which  crossed  the  Red  Sea  and  spread 
along  the  southern  and  eastern  shorea 
of  Arabia,  up  the  Persian  Gulf  and  the 
valley  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphratss. 


The  town  and  valley  of  Nablut,  the  ancient  Shechem.     The  mountain  on  the  right  is  Ehal ; 
that  on  the  left  is  Gerizim. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  ABRAHAM  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  JOSEPH.— 

is.  c.   1822-1635. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  Rebekah  continued  barren.  At  length 
through  the  prayers  of  Isaac,  slie  became  a  mother,  and  brought 
forth  twin  sons,  Esau  (hairy'),  and  Jacob  (the  supplanter).  When 
the  boys  grew  np,  the  former  became  "  a  cunning  hunter,  a  man  of 
the  field,"  and  a  favorite  of  his  father ;  while  the  latter,  who  was 
"  a  plain  and  quiet  man  dwelling  in  tents,"  was  his  mother's  favor- 
ite. One  day  Esau,  returning  from  hunting  in  a  famished  state, 
saw  Jacob  preparing  red  pottage  of  lentils,  and  quickly  asked  for 
sonr\      Jacob  seized  the  occasion  to  obtain  Esau's  birthri  rbt  as  the 


42  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  Ill, 

price  of  the  meal.  "  Never  surely  was  there  any  meat,  except  the 
forbidden  fruit,  bought  so  dearly."  Esau  consented  so  readily, 
that  it  is  regarded  in  the  sacred  narrative  as  a  proof  that  "he  de- 
spised  his  birthright  "  (Gen.  xxv.  34).  For  this  the  Apostle  (Heb. 
xii.  1G)  calls  him  "  a  profane  person,  who  for  one  morsel  of  food 
sold  his  birthright."  The  justice  of  this  judgment  will  appear  if 
\vc  consider  that  Esau  was  by  right  of  birth  not  only  the  head  of 
his  own  family,  its  prophet,  priest,  and  king,  but  also  the  head  of 
the  chosen  family,  thus  inheriting  the  blessing  of  Abraham,  that 
"in  li is  seed  all  families  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed."  In  de- 
spising his  birthright  lie  thus  put  himself  out  of  the  sacred  family, 
and  so  became  a  profane  person. 

Soon  after  this,  Isaac  was  driven  from  Lahai-roi  by  a  famine, 
and  went  down  to  "Abimelech,  king  of  the  Philistines,  into 
Gerar."  There  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him,  and  said,  "  Go  not 
down  into  Egypt:  sojourn  in  this  land,  and  I  will  be  with  thee  and 
bless  thee."  At  the  same  time  all  the  promises  were  renewed  to 
him  that  had  been  made  to  Abraham.  While  he  was  at  Gerar,  he 
practised  the  same  deceit  of  which  his  father  had  been  guilty,  by 
giving  out  that  his  wife  was  his  sister.  The  king,  having  acci- 
dentally discovered  that  Rebekah  was  his  wife,  sent  for  him,  and, 
after  pointing  out  the  consequences  that  might  have  ensued,  he 
"charged  all  his  people,  saying,  He  that  toucheth  this  man  or  his 
wife  shall  surely  be  put  to  death."  This  is  the  first  instance  on 
record  of  a  king  holding  the  power  of  life  and  death  (Gen.  xxvi. 
1-11). 

The  tranquil  course  of  Isaac's  life,  which  presents  a  marked  con- 
trast to  the  varied  incidents  of  Abraham's  career,  was  vexed  by  the 
disobedience  of  his  son  Esau,  who  at  the  age  of  forty  married  two 
Hittite  wives,  thus  introducing  heathen  alliances  into  the  chosen 
family  (Gen.  xxvi.  34).  When  Isaac  grew  old,  and  his  eyes,  dim 
with  age,  warned  him  of  the  near  approach  of  death,  he  was  anx- 
ious to  perform  the  solemn  act  by  which  he  was  to  hand  down  the 
blessing  of  Abraham  to  another  generation.  Calling  to  him  Esau, 
his  eldest  son,  he  said,  "Take,  I  pray  thee,  thy  weapons,  thy  quiver 
and  thy  bow,  and  go  out  to  the  field,  and  take  me  some  A'enison ; 
and  make  me  savory  meat,  and  bring  it  to  me,  that  I  may  eat ; 
that  my  soul  may  bless  thee  before  I  die."  While  Esau  was  gone 
out  to  the  field  to  hunt  for  venison,  Rebekah  spake  unto  Jacob  her 
son,  and  said,  "  Go  now  to  the  flock,  and  fetch  me  from  thence  two 
good  kids  of  the  goats;  and  I  will  make  them  savory  meat  for  thy 
father,  such  as  he  loveth :  and  thou  shalt  bring  it  to  him,  that  he 
may  bless  thee  before  his  death."  Jacob  replied,  "Esau  my  broth- 
er is  a  hairy  man,  and  I  am  a  smooth  man :  my  father  will  per 


B.C.  1S22-1G35.  JACOB'S  DREAM.  43 

haps  feel  me,  and  I  shall  seem  to  him  as  a  deceiver,  and  shall  bring 
a  curse  upon  me,  and  not  a  blessing."  His  mother  answered, 
'•'  Upon  me  be  thy  curse,  my  son :  only  obey  my  voice,  and  go  and 
fetch  them."  In  this  way  Rebekah  came  to  the  aid  of  her  favorite 
son,  and  devised  the  stratagem  by  which  Jacob  supplanted  Esau, 
and  having  previously  taken  away  his  birthright,  he  now  took  away 
Esau's  blessing  also  (Gen.  xxvii.  1-29). 

Esau,  we  are  told,  hated  Jacob  "  because  of  the  blessing  whcre- 
v'.:h  his  father  blessed  him,"  and  said  in  his  heart,  "The  days  of 
mourning  for  my  father  are  at  hand  ;  then  will  I  slay  my  brother 
Jacob."     When  these  words   of  her  elder  son  were  reported  to 
Rebekah,  she  was  greatly  alarmed.      Having   sent  for  Jacob,  she 
told  him  to  go  and  stay  for  a  little  while  with  Laban,  her  brother, 
in  Haran,  until  Esau's  fury  was  over.      Concealing  her  principal 
reason  for  sending  him  away,  she  said  to  Isaac  that  it  would  be  a 
trouble  to  her  if  Jacob  were  to  marry  one  of  the  daughters  of  Heth, 
as  Esau  had  done.      Isaac  then  called  Jacob,  and  said  unto  him, 
"Thou  shall  not  take  a  wife  of  the  daughters  of  Canaan.     Arise, 
go  to  Padan-aram,  to  the  house  of  Bcthuel,  thy  mother's  father; 
and  take  thee  a  wife  from  thence  of  the  daughters  of  Laban,  thy 
mother's  brother.     And  God  Almighty  bless  thee,  and   multiply 
thee,  and  give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abraham,  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed 
after  thee ;  that  thou  mayest  inherit  the  land  wherein  thou  art  a 
stranger,  which  God  gave  unto  Abraham."     And  so  the  heir  of  the 
promises  went  on  his  long  journey  to  Mesopotamia,  as  a  solitary 
wanderer,  with  nothing  but  the  staff  lie  carried,  along  the  self-same 
road  by  which  Abraham  had  first  entered  Canaan  after  the  death  of 
his  father  Terah.     Proceeding  northward  on  his  way  to  Haran,  he 
lighted  upon  a  place  near  Luz,  the  site,  doubtless,  of  Abram's  second 
halting-place  in  the  Holy  Land,  where  he  found  some  stones,  one 
of  which  he  made  his  pillow,  and  then  lay  down  to  sleep.     Thus 
forlorn,  he  was  visited  by  God  ;  and  in  a  dream  he  saw  a  ladder, 
one  end  of  which  rested  upon  the  earth,  and  the  other  reached  to 
heaven,  "and  behold  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending 
on  it."     And  the  Lord  himself  appeared  to  him,  and  stood  above 
it,  and  his  voice  added  to  the  renewal  of  the  covenant  made  with 
Abraham  and  with  Isaac,  a  special  promise  of  protection  to  Jacob: 
"Behold,  I  am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither 
thou  goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this  land."     When  Jacob 
awoke   out   of  his   sleep,    he   exclaimed,  "How   dreadful   is   this 
place!   this  is  none  other  but  the  house   of  God,  this  is  the  gate 
of  heaven."     And  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Beth-el  (the 
house  of  God).     He  then  dedicated  himself  to  God  and  the.  tenth 
Of  all  that  God  should  give  him  (Gen.  xxviii.   1-22).       This,  the 


44  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  III. 

turning-point  in  Jacob's  religious  life,  took  place  in  his  seventy, 
seventn  year. 

Jacob  then  went  on  his  journey,  and  at  length  arrived  at  Haran. 
There  he  witnessed  a  repetition  of  the  pastoral  scene  which  Abra- 
ham's  servant  had  seen  at  the  same  place  about  a  century  before. 
Rachel,  the  daughter  of  his  uncle  Laban,  comes  with  her  father's 
sheep  to  the  well,  just  as  her  aunt  Rebekali  had  clone,  and  brinq; 
him  to  the  house.  There  Jacob  told  Laban  what  his  object  was  in 
coming  to  him,  and  at  the  end  of  a  month  it  was  agreed  between 
them  that  Jacob  should  serve  him  seven  years  in  tending  his  flocks, 
and  as  a  recompense  Laban  agreed  to  give  him  his  younger  daugh- 
ter Rachel  for  wife.  "And  Jacob  served  seven  years  for  Rachel ; 
and  they  seemed  unto  him  but  a  few  days,  for  the  love  he  had  to 
her."  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  claimed  his  bride.  Laban  then, 
by  a  trick  rendered  easy  by  the  forms  of  an  Eastern  wedding,  where 
the  bride  is  closely  veiled,  gave  him  Leah  in  place  of  Rachel,  and 
afterwards  excused  his  deceit  by  saying,  "In  our  country,  we  must 
not  give  the  younger  before  the  elder,"  but  he  gave  Jacob  Rachel 
also,  on  condition  of  his  serving  with  him  seven  more  years  (Gen. 
xxix.  1-30). 

Jacob  felt  very  differently  towards  his  two  wives:  Rachel  he 
loved  deeply,  but  Leah  he  disliked  (Gen.  xxix.  31).  She,  how- 
ever, bore  him  four  sons,  Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  and  Judah,  while 
her  sister  Rachel  was  for  a  long  time  childless.  In  }:rief  for  her 
barrenness,  she  gave  her  handmaid  Bilhah  to  Jacob — (as  Sarah  had 
given  Hagar  to  Abraham) — by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  Dan  and 
Naphtali.  Leah  also  gave  her  maid  Zilpah  to  Jacob,  who  bore  him 
two  sons,  Gad  and  Asher.  Leah  afterwards  had  her  fifth  son,  Issa- 
char,  and  then  a  sixth,  whom  she  named  Zebulun.  Her  last  child 
was  a  daughter  called  Dinah  (Gen.  xxx.  21.)  The  prayers  of  Ra- 
chel being  at  length  heard,  she  became  the  mother  of  a  son,  and 
said,  "God  hath  taken  away  my  reproach  :  and  she  called  his  name 
Joseph"  {adding).  During  the  fourteen  years  that  Jacob  served 
Laban  he  had  by  his  two  wives  and  their  two  handmaids  eleven 
sons  and  one  daughter.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  wished  to  pro- 
Tide  for  his  own  house,  and  to  return  to  his  own  country  (Gen 
sxx.  25) ;  and  he  requested  his  uncle  to  let  him  go.  Laban,  how 
ever,  begged  him  to  remain  with  him,  for  he  said,  "I  have  learned 
by  experience  that  the  Lord  hath  blessed  me  for  thy  sake."  Jacob 
agreed  to  do  so,  on  the  condition  that  all  the  dark  sheep,  and  all 
the  spotted  cattle  and  goats,  hereafter  born  in  the  flocks  under  his 
care,  should  belong  to  him  in  payment  of  his  services.  Jacob's 
artifice  to  make  the  most  of  his  bargain  (Gen.  xxx.  37-42)  succeed- 
ed so  well,  that  his  flocks  throve  greatly,  while  Laban's  dwindled 


B.C.  1822-1G35.     JACOB'S  ESCAPE  FROM  LABAN.  45 

away.  His  prosperity  began  to  excite  the  envy  ofLaban  and  of 
his  sons,  when  "  the  Lord  said  nnto  Jacob,  Return  unto  the  land  of 
thy  fathers,  and  of  thy  kindred;  and  I  will  be  with  thee"  (Gen. 
xxxi.  3).  After  sending  for  his  wives  into  the  field,  and  laying  the 
mntter  before  them,  he  resolved  to  leave  Laban.  Setting  his  sons 
and  his  wives  upon  camels,  and  carrying  away  all  that  he  had  gotten 
in  Padan-aram,  he  hastily  set  out  for  the  land  of  Canaan,  after 
twenty  years  spent  in  Laban's  service — fourteen  fur  his  wives  and 
•six  for  his  cattle. 

Having  passed  the  Euphrates,  he  struck  across  the  desert  by  the 
great  fountain  of  Palmyra,  then  traversed  the  eastern  part  of  the 
plain  of  Damascus,  and  entered  Gilead — the  range  of  mountains 
east  of  the  Jordan,  forming  the  frontier  between  Palestine  and  the 
Syrian  desert.  Jacob  must  have  fled  swiftly  to  have  accomplished 
in  ten  days  this  journey  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Haran. 
But  when  Laban  heard  of  his  flight,  he  must  have  pursued  him  with 
even  greater  haste.  Calling  his  kindred  together,  he  set  out  after 
him,  and  overtook  him  in  seven  days  (Gen.  xxxi.  23),  in  Mount 
Gilead  ;  his  anger  for  the  loss  of  his  daughters,  carried  away  "  like 
captives  taken  with  the  sword,"  being  increased  by  the  loss  of  his 
household  gods  (teraphim),  which  Rachel  had  secretly  stolen.  Ja- 
cob, ignorant  of  Rachel's  theft,  desired  Laban  to  make  a  strict 
search  for  them,  which  he  did  in  the  different  tents,  but  unsuccess- 
fully, as  they  were  craftily  concealed  by  Rachel.  Laban,  having 
been  forewarned  by  God  not  to  injure  Jacob,  then  made  a  covenant 
with  his  son-in-law.  Jacob  took  a  tall  stone  and  set  it  up  for  a 
pillar,  and  the  rest  collected  large  stones  and  made  a  heap,  and 
"  they  did  eat  there  upon  the  heap,"  which  was  called  Galeed  (the 
heap  of  witness).  The  heap  of  stones  erected  by  the  two  tribes  of 
Jacob  and  Laban  as  a  boundary  between  them,  "marked  that  the 
natural  limit  of  the  range  of  Gilead  should  be  their  actual  limit 
also."  Early  in  the  morning  Laban  rose  up,  and,  after  kissing  his 
sons  and  daughters  and  blessing  them,  he  departed.  Jacob  also 
went  on  his  way,  and,  to  encourage  him,  his  eyes  were  opened  to 
see  a  troop  of  angels,  "  the  host  of  God,"  sent  for  his  protection. 

In  the  land  to  which  Jacob  was  returning  his  first  danger  would 
be  from  the  revenge  of  Esau,  who  had  now  become  powerful  in 
Mount  Seir,  the  land  of  Edom.  Jacob  sent  messengers,  therefore, 
before  him,  to  acquaint  his  brother  of  his  approach,  and  of  the  pros^ 
perity  that  had  attended  him  during  his  sojourn  in  Mesopotamia. 
His  messengers  returned,  and  told  him,  "Thy  brother  Esau  cometh 
to  meet  thee  with  four  hundred  men."  Well  might  Jacob  distrust 
his  purpose  ;  for,  though  such  a  retinue  might  be  meant  to  do  him 
honor,  it  might  also  be  designe'd  to  insure  revenge.      "Then  Jacob 


4G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  III. 

was  greatly  afraid  and  distressed."  Having  divided  his  people  and 
his  herds  into  two  bands,  that  if  the  first  were  smitten  the  second 
might  escape,  he  turned  to  God  in  prayer.  This  is  the  first  prayer 
on  record  ;  nor  could  there  be  a  finer  model  for  a  special  prayer. 
To  prayer  he  adds  prudence,  and  sends  forward  present  after  pres- 
ent to  win  his  brother's  heart — "Two  hundred  she-goats,  twenty 
he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes,  twenty  rams,  thirty  milch-camels  with 
their  colts,  forty  cows,  ten  bulls,  twenty  she-asses,  and  ten  foals." 
This  done,  he  rested  for  a  while  ;  but  in  the  night  he  arose  and  sent 
forward  his  two  wives,  his  two  women-servants,  and  his  eleven  sons, 
across  the  Jabbok,  -while  he  himself  remained  alone  at  Mahanaim  ttf 
prepare  his  mind  for  the  coming  trial.  It  was  then  that  "a  man" 
appeared  and  wrestled  with  him  till  break  of  day.  This  "man' 
was  the  "angel  Jehovah."  For  a  while  He  prevailed  not  against 
him,  but  at  last  the  angel  touched  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  and 
put  it  out  of  joint,  when  the  sinew  instantly  shrank.  "Let  me  go, 
he  said,  for  the  day  breaketh.  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  Jacob  re- 
plied, except  thou  bless  me."  "Thy  name  shall  no  more  be  call- 
ed Jacob,  he  said,  but  Israel  {a  prince  of  God),  as  a  sign  that  thou 
hast  power  with  God  and  with  men."  Well  knowing  with  whom 
he  had  to  do,  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniel  {the  face 
of  God),  "  for,  he  said,  I  have  seen  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  is 
preserved  "  (Gen.  xxxii.  1-32). 

Jacob  now  proceeded  on  his  way,  and  overtook  his  family.  Soon 
Esau  and  his  men  came  in  sight.  Advancing  before  all  his  com- 
pany, Jacob  then  went  to  meet  him,  bowing  himself  to  the  ground 
seven  times  until  he  came  near  to  his  brother.  "And  Esau  ran  to 
meet  him,  and  fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed  him  :  and  they  wept." 
Jacob  then  pressed  Esau  to  accept  the  presents  lie  had  sent  for- 
ward for  him,  which  he  reluctantly  consented  to  do.  After  a  cor- 
dial interview  they  separated  ;  Esau  went  back  to  Mount  Seir,  and 
Jacob  pursued  his  journey  westward,  and  halted  at  Succoth.  Soon 
afterwards  he  crossed  the  Jordan  and  arrived  at  Shechem,  a  city  so 
called  after  Shechem,  the  son  of  Hamor,  prince  of  the  Amcrites. 
From  them  he  bought  for  one  hundred  lambs  the  field  where  he 
had  pitched  his  tent ;  and  he  erected  there  an  altar  to  God,  as  the 
giver  of  his  new  name — "  God  the  God  of  Israel"  (El-clohe-Israil) 
This  piece  of  ground,  with  the  exception  of  the  cave  of  Machpelah, 
was  the  first  possession  of  the  chosen  family  in  the  land  of  Canaan 
(Gen.  xxxiii.  1-20).  The  memory  of  Jacob's  abode  there  is  still 
preserved  by  "Jacob's  well,"  on  the  margin  of  which  his  divine 
Son  taught  the  woman  of  Sychar  (Shechem)  a  better  worship  than 
that  of  sacred  places. 

At  Shechem  Jacob  lived  about  seven  years,  when  he  became  in- 


B.C.  1822-1635.  DEATH  OF  ISAAC.  47 

volved  in  a  conflict  with  the  Shechemites.  His  daughter  Dinah 
having  been  carried  off  by  Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor,  his  sons 
Simeon  and  Levi  treacherously  revenged  the  wrong  done  to  their 
sister  by  putting  to  death  Hamor  and  Shechem  and  their  people, 
and  ravaging  the  city.  To  avoid  the  revenge  of  the  Canaanites, 
Jacob  deemed  it  prudent  to  withdraw  from  Shechem,  and  by  the 
command  of  God  he  returned  to  Beth-el.  There  he  fulfilled  the 
vows  which  he  had  made  many  years  before,  when  he  had  fled  from 
home  to  escape  the  enmity  of  his  brother  Esau  (Gen.  xxviii.  16-22). 
There  he  built  an  altar  to  the  Lord,  and  God  appeared  to  him  again 
(Gen.  xxxv.  9),  and  renewed  with  him  the  Covenant  made  with 
Abraham.  There  Deborah,  his  mother  Rebekah's  nurse,  died  and 
was  buried  beneath  the  "oak  of  weeping"  (Allon-baehuth). 

Jacob  did  not  stay  long  at  Beth-el,  but  journeyed  southward  on  his 
way  to  visit,  his  father  at  Mamre,  near  Hebron.  Not  far  from  Eph. 
rath,  the  ancient  name  of  Bethlehem,  Rachel  died  in  giving  birth  to 
Jacob's  youngest  son.  The  dying  mother  called  him  Besom  (son 
of  my  sorrow),  but  the  fond  father  changed  his  name  to  Ben-Jamin 
(son  of  the  right  hand)  (Gen.  xxxv.  16-18).  Soon  quitting  this 
melancholy  place,  he  went  forward,  and  at  length  reached  the  en- 
campment of  his  father  Isaac  at  the  old  station  beside  Hebron, 
"  where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned."  It  does  not  appear  that 
Jacob  had  seen  him  from  the  time  that  he  went  to  Padan-aram, 
some  thirty  years  before,  until  now.  They  spent  the  next  thirteen 
years  together,  when  Isaac  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty.  His  sons  Esau  and  Jacob  buried  him  in  the  cave  of  Mach- 
pelah,  with  Abraham  and  Sarah  (Gen.  xxxv.  28,  29).  Esau  then 
returned  to  Mount  Seir,  and  became  the  founder  of  the  Edomites 
or  Idumsean  nation,  and  Jacob  remained  at  Mamre  (Gen.  xxxvi. 
8,9).' 

The  story  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren,  which  the  sacred  writer 
now  relates,  may  safely  be  called  the  most  charming  in  all  history. 
As  the  first-born  son  of  his  beloved  Rachel,  and  the  son  of  his  old 
age,  "Israel  loved  Joseph  more  than  all  his  children."  He  gave 
him  "a  coat  of  many  colors ;"  but  his  partiality  awoke  the  jealousy 
of  his  other  sons,  and  they   "hated  Joseph,  and  could  not  speak 

1  The  following  is  the  lisi,  of  Jacob's  twelve  sons  by  his  two  wives  and 
their  two  handmaids,  with  the  significance  of  their  names  : 

i.  The  sons  of  Leah :  Reuben  (see .'  a  son),  Simeon  {tearing),  Levi  (joined), 
Jndah  (praise),  Issachar  (hire),  Zebnlun  (dwelling). 

u.  The  sons  of  Rachel :  Joseph  (adding),  Benjamin  (son  of  the  right  hand). 

iii.  The  sons  oiBilhah,  Rachel's  handmaid  :  Dan  (judging),  Naphthali  (my 
wrestling). 

iv.  The  sons  of  Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid  :  Gad  (a  troop),  Asher  (happy). 

Besides  Dinah  (judgment),  the  daughter  of  Leah.— Gen.  xxxv.  23-26. 


48  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IIL 

peaceably  unto  him."  Their  hatred  was  increased  after  Joseph  had 
told  them  two  dreams  which  he  had  dreamed.  In  the  first,  his 
brothers'  sheaves  of  corn  bowed  down  to  his,  which  stood  upright  in 
their  midst;  and  in  the  second,  "behold  the  sun,  and  the  moon, 
and  the  eleven  stars  made  obeisance"  to  him.  His  father  rebuked 
him  for  repeating  these  dreams,  and  said,  "  Shall  I,  and  thy  mother, 
and  thv  brethren,  indeed  come  to  bow  down  ourselves  to  thee  to  the 
3arth  ?" 

Jacob  was  at  this  time  at  Hebron,  while  his  sons  fed  his  flocks 
wherever  they  could  find  pasture ;  Joseph  being  sometimes  with 
them,  and  sometimes  with  his  father.  On  one  occasion  he  was 
sent  from  Hebron  to  Shechem,  where  the  field  lay  which  Jacob  had 
purchased,  and  probably  afterwards  recovered,  from  the  Amorites, 
to  inquire  after  his  brethren  and  the  flocks.  Finding  that  they 
had  gone  farther  north  to  Dothan,  he  went  after  them  ;  but  as  soon 
*s  they  saw  him  coming  they  conspired  to  kill  him.  "They  said 
one  to  another,  Behold  this  dreamer  cometh.  Come  now,  let  us 
slay  him,  and  cast  him  into  some  pit,  and  we  will  say  some  evil 
beast  hath  devoured  him.  Then  we  shall  see  what  will  become  of 
his  dreams."  His  life  was  saved  by  Reuben,  who  said,  "  Let  us  not 
kill  him,"  and  he  persuaded  them  to  cast  him  into  an  empty  pit, 
whence  he  intended  to  take  him  and  restore  him  to  his  father. 
When  Joseph  came  to  them,  they  stripped  him  of  his  tunic  "  of 
many  colors,"  and  having  cast,  him  into  the  pit,  they  coolly  sat  down 
to  eat  bread.  Just  then  an  Arab  caravan — a  company  of  Ishmael- 
ites — were  seen  on  the  road  which  leads  from  Gilead  through  Do- 
than to  Egypt,  carrying  to  that  country  on  their  camels  the  spices, 
and  balm,  and  myrrh  of  the  Syrian  desert.  As  such  traders  were 
always  ready  to  buy  up  slaves  on  their  way,  Judah  suggested,  dur- 
ing the  absence  of  Reuben,  that  they  might  now  get  rid  of  their 
brother  without  the  guilt  of  murder,  and  he  proposed  that  he  should 
be  sold  to  the  Ishmaelites.  "And  his  brethren  were  content." 
When  the  Midianites  came  near  they  took  Joseph  out  of  the  pit 
and  sold  him  to  them  for  twenty  shekels  of  silver :  the  very  sum 
which  afterwards,  under  the  Law,  was  set  as  the  value  of  a  male 
from  five  to  twenty  years  old — a  type  of  the  sale  of  Him  "  whom  the 
children  of  Israel  did  value"  (Matt,  xxvii.  9). 

Reuben  returned  to  the  pit ;  but  not  finding  his  brother  there,  he 
was  greatly  grieved,  and  rent  his  clothes.  To  deceive  their  father, 
his  brothers  then  took  Joseph's  tunic,  and  having  dipped  it  in  a  kid's 
blood,  they  carried  it  back  to  Jacob.  As  soon  as  he  saw  it  he  knew 
it,  and  said,  "  It  is  my  son's  coat ;  a  wild  beast  hath,  no  doubt,  torn 
him  in  pieces."  With  guilty  consciences  they  pretended  to  com- 
fort their  father,  but  he  refused  to  be  comforted,  and  said,  "  I  will 


B.C.  1822-1G35.       HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH.  49 

go  down  into  the  grave  unto  my  son  mourning"  (Gen.  xxxvii. 
1-35). 

Meanwhile  the  Ishmaelite  merchants  carried  Joseph  down  into 
Egypt,  and  sold  him  as  a  slave  toPoTiPHAR,  "an officer  of  Pharaoh 
and  captain  of  the  guard."  Here  Joseph  served  his  master  with  so 
much  fidelity  that  he  quickly  gained  his  confidence,  when  Potiphar 
made  him  steward  over  his  household,  and  over  all  that  he  had. 
"And  the  Lord  blessed  the  Egyptian's  house  for  Joseph's  sake." 
Joseph  being  "a  goodly  person  and  well-favored,"  his  youthful 
beauty  exposed  him  to  a  great  temptation  from  his  master's  wife, 
which,  however,  he  was  enabled  to  withstand.  In  revenge  for  this 
slight,  she  made  a  false  charge  against  Joseph  and  procured  his  dis- 
grace, stirring  up  the  wrath  of  her  husband  against  him,  who  put 
him  into  the  state  prison.  This  imprisonment  lasted  probably  eight 
or  nine  years ;  and  we  gather  from  the  words  of  the  Psalmist  (Psalm 
cv.  17,  18),  that  his  treatment  was  at  first  severe;  "Whose  feet 
they  hurt  with  fetters;  the  iron  entered  into  his  soul."  But  the 
game  blessing  that  had  raised  him  in  the  house  of  Potiphar  followed 
him  in  the  prison,  the  keeper  of  which  gave  him  the  entire  charge 
of  the  other  prisoners,  "  because  the  Lord  was  with  him,  and  that 
which  he  did,  the  Lord  made  it  to  prosper  "  (Gen.  xxxix.  1-23). 

It  happened  that  the  chief  of  the  cup-bearers  and  the  chief  of 
the  cooks2  of  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  gave  some  offense  to  their 
master,  for  which  they  were  cast  into  prison,  and  committed  to  the 
charge  of  Joseph.  One  morning  when  he  looked  upon  them  he  per- 
ceived  that  they  were  very  sad,  and,  on  inquiring  the  cause,  they 
replied,  "We  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and  there  is  no  interpreter 
of  it."  After  reminding  them  that  the  interpretation  of  dreams  be- 
longed to  God,  he  then  interpreted  their  dreams,  which  forewarned 
them  of  their  fate.  Joseph  told  the  chief  cup-bearer  that  his 
dream  signified  that  in  three  days  Pharaoh  would  restore  him  to 
his  office ;  and  to  the  chief  of  the  cooks  he  predicted  that  within 
three  days  he  would  be  hanged.  His  words  came  true ;  but  al- 
though he  had  asked  the  chief  cup-hearer  to  think  on  him  and  in- 
tercede with  Pharaoh  for  his  release  from  prison,  yet  "did  not  he 
remember  him,  but  forgat  him  "  (Gen.  xl.  1-23). 

After  this  two  years  passed  away,  when  Pharaoh  was  disturbed 
by  dreams  which  none  of  the  wise  men  of  Egypt  were  able  to  in- 
terpret. Then  the  chief  cup-bearer  told  the  king  of  Joseph's  skill, 
and  he  was  hastily  sent  for  out  of  prison,  and  brought  into  the  pres- 
ence of  Pharaoh.  After  Joseph  had  told  Pharaoh  that  the  power 
of  interpreting  dreams  was  only  in  God  who  had  sent  them,  the 

'  The  terms  chief  butler  and  chief  baker,  in  our  version,  are  misleading  as 
to  their  dignity. 

J) 


50  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  III. 

king  related  his  dreams,  which  Joseph  proceeded  to  interpret. 
"In  my  dream,"  said  Pharaoh,  "behold  I  stood  upon  the  bank  of 
the  river  (Nile).  And  I  saw  seven  fat  and  beautiful  heifers  come 
up  out  of  the  river,  and  feed  on  the  marsh  grass  by  its  banks  ;  then 
seven  of  the  leanest  and  most  ill-looking  heifers  I  had  ever  seen 
came  up  after  them,  and  devoured  the  others."  In  his  second 
dream,  he  saw  seven  full  ears  of  corn  devoured  by  seven  that  were 
thin  and  blasted.  Joseph  explained  to  the  king  that  the  dream 
had  been  twofold,  to  mark  its  certain  and  speedy  fulfillment;  that 
the  seven  heifers  and  the  seven  ears  of  corn  had  the  same  mean- 
ing ;  and  that  God  had  taken  this  way  of  showing  to  the  king  what 
He  was  about  to  do.  The  seven  fat  heifers  and  the  seven  full  ears 
denoted  seven  years  of  great  abundance,  which  nevertheless  should 
be  forgotten  by  reason  of  the  severity  of  the  famine  which  should 
come  in  the  next  seven  years  after  them,  denoted  by  the  lean  and 
ill-looking  heifers,  and  the  blasted  ears  of  corn.  He  then  advised 
Pharaoh  to  appoint  a  wise  and  discreet  minister  over  his  whole 
kingdom,  who  should  send  officers  into  every  part  of  the  land  to 
store  up  a  fifth  part  of  all  the  corn  of  the  seven  years  of  plenty 
against  the  seven  years  of  famine.  "And  the  thing  was  good  in 
the  eyes  of  Pharaoh  and  of  all  his  servants."  Can  we  find  another 
man  like  this,  said  the  king,  in  whom  is  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  Feel- 
ing that  no  man  could  be  more  fit  for  the  office  than  Joseph  him- 
self, he  said  to  him,  "See,  I  have  set  thee  over  all  the  land  of 
Egypt."  He  then  took  off  his  own  signet-ring  and  gave  it  to  him. 
Clothing  him  with  fine  linen  robes  and  putting  a  collar  of  gold 
round  his  neck,  he  seated  him  in  the  second  royal  chariot,  before 
which  the  people  were  bidden  to  fall  prostrate.  Thus  Joseph  was 
made  ruler  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  with  authority  next  to  that 
of  the  king  himself.  Pharaoh  changed  his  name  to  Zaphnatik 
Paanbah,  which  perhaps  signified,  in  Egyptian,  the  preserver  of  life, 
and  gave  him  for  wife  Asenath,  the  daughter  of  Potipherah,  priest 
(or  prince)  of  On,  who  bore  him  two  sons  during  the  seven  years 
of  plenty.  The  elder  he  named  Manasseh  (forgetting),  and  the 
younger  Ephraim  (double  fruit  fulness). 

Joseph  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  was  made  governor  over  all 
Egypt  (Gen.  xli.  46).  The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  go  through  the 
country.  During  his  progress,  he  gave  instructions  for  granaries 
to  be  built  in  the  principal  cities,  and  appointed  officers  whom  he 
charged  with  the  duty  of  buying  up  one-fifth  of  the  produce  of  tho 
land  during  the  seven  years  of  plenty,  and  storing  it  away  for  use 
during  the  years  of  famine.  When  the  seven  years  of  dearth  began 
to  come,  the  Egyptians  quickly  used  up  their  private  stores.  Joseph 
then  opened  all  the  store-houses  and  sold  corn  to  them  ;  and  as  the 


B.C.  1822-1G35.        HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH.  51 

famine  was  sore  in  all  the  neighboring  countries,  people  from  Ca- 
naan, and  the  nations  round  about,  went  down  into  Egypt  to  buy 
corn  (Gen.  xli.  47-57). 

These  seven  years  of  famine  had  the  most  important  bearing  on 
the  chosen  family  of  Israel.  When  all  the  corn  in  Canaan  was 
gone,  Jacob  sent  down  ten  of  his  sons  into  Egypt  to  buy  corn  there ; 
but  Benjamin,  Joseph's  brother,  he  sent  not  with  them,  "lest  mis- 
chief should  befall  him."  Probably  he  was  unwilling  to  trust 
Rachel's  remaining  child  with  his  brethren.  When  Joseph  saw 
them,  he  knew  them,  but  they  knew  not  him.  He  spake  roughly 
to  them,  and  charged  them  with  being  spies,  come  down  to  see  the 
nakedness  of  the  land.  To  test  their  truthfulness,  he  at  first  de- 
manded that  one  of  them  should  be  sent  to  fetch  their  youngest 
brother ;  but,  after  keeping  them  three  days  in  prison,  he  changed 
his  mind,  and  said,  "  Let  one  of  your  number  remain  as  a  hostage, 
and  let  the  rest  return  with  the  corn  you  have  purchased  for  your 
houses,  but  bring  your  youngest  brother  back  with  you  to  verify 
your  words."  Then  his  brethren  remembered  the  crime  which  they 
had  committed  in  selling  Joseph  into  slavery,  and  they  said  one  to 
another,  "  We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother,  therefore  is 
this  distress  come  upon  us."  Joseph  then,  having  taken  Simeon  and 
bound  him  before  their  eyes,  commanded  his  servants  to  fill  their 
sacks  with  corn,  to  restore  every  man's  money  into  his  sack,  and  to 
give  them  provision  for  the  way,  and  afterwards  they  departed. 

They  returned  unto  their  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  told 
him  all  that  had  befallen  them.  When  they  emptied  their  sacks, 
they  found  every  man's  bundle  of  money  in  his  sack,  and  were 
afraid.  They  asked  their  father  to  intrust  Benjamin  to  their  care  ; 
but  he  replied,  "  Me  have  ye  bereaved  of  my  children  ;  Joseph  is 
not,  and  Simeon  's  not,  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin  away.  All 
these  things  are  against  me."  "My  father,"  said  Reuben,  "slay 
in  v  two  sons  if  I  bring  him  not  to  thee ;  deliver  him  into  my  hand, 
and  I  will  bring  him  to  thee  again."  "No,"  said  Jacob,  "my 
sun  shall  not  go  down  with  you  ;  for  his  brother  is  dead,  and  he  is 
left  alone:  if  mischief  befall  him  by  the  way  in  the  which  ye  go, 
then  shall  ye  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave  " 
Gen.  xlii.  1-38). 

The  famine,  however,  was  sore  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  When 
thay  had  eaten  up  the  corn  which  they  had  brought  out  of  Egypt, 
their  father  said  to  them,  "  Go  again,  buy  us  a  little  food."  "  If 
thou  wilt  send  our  brother  with  us,"  said  Judah,  "  we  will  go  down 
and  buy  thee  food ;  but  if  thou  wilt  not  send  him,  we  will  not  go 
down,  for  the  man  said  unto  us,  Ye  shall  not  see  my  face  except 
your  brother  be  witJ»  you."      "  Why  dealt  ye  so  ill  with  me,"  Israel 


52  SCKIPTUKE  HISTORY.  Chap.  III. 

said,  "as  to  tell  the  man  whether  ye  had  yet  a  brother?"  At 
length  their  father  consented.  "  If  it  must  be  so  now,"  he  said, 
"  do  this  ;  take  of  the  best  fruits  in  the  land,  and  carry  down  the 
man  a  present,  a  little  balm,  and  a  little  honey,  spices  and  myrrh, 
nuts  and  almonds.  Take  double  money  in  your  hand,  and  the 
money  that  was  brought  back  in  the  mouth  of  your  sacks — perad- 
venture  it  was  an  oversight.  Take  also  your  brother,  and  go  again 
unto  the  man.  And  may  God  Almighty  give  you  grace  before 
the  man  that  lie  may  send  away  your  other  brother  and  Benjamin. 
If  I  be  bereaved  of  my  children,  I  am  bereaved." 

And  the  men  returned  to  Egypt  and  stood  before  Joseph.  As 
soon  as  he  saw  Benjamin  with  them,  lie  said  to  the  ruler  of  his 
house,  "  Bring  these  men  home  and  make  ready,  for  these  men 
shall  dine  with  me  at  noon."  At  first  they  were  afraid ;  but  their 
fears  were  soon  dispelled,  and  Simeon  was  brought  out  to  them. 
When  Joseph  came  home,  they  made  obeisance  to  him,  and  pro- 
duced the  presents  they  had  brought  with  them.  He  asked  them 
of  their  welfare,  and  said,  "  Is  your  father  well,  the  old  man  of 
whom  ye  spake?  Is  he  yet  alive?'  He  then  saw  his  brother 
Benjamin,  his  mother's  son,  and  said,  "Is  this  your  younger  broth- 
er, of  whom  ye  spake  unto  me  ?  God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  my 
son."  His  yearning  fondness  for  his  brother  moved  him  to  tears, 
and  he  entered  into  his  chamber  and  wept  there.  Then  their  din- 
ner was  served  to  each  at  separata  tables,  at  which  they  were  ar- 
ranged strictly  in  accordance  with  their  several  ages.  But  Benja- 
min's mess  was  five  times  as  much  as  any  of  theirs  (Gen.  xliii.). 

Desirous  of  putting  them  to  one  more  trial,  Joseph  commanded 
the  steward  of  his  house  to  fill  the  men's  sacks  with  food,  to  put 
every  man's  money  in  his  sack's  mouth,  and  to  put  his  silver  cup 
in  the  sack's  month  of  the  youngest.  His  orders  were  executed ; 
and  in  the  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  the  men  were  sent 
away.  They  had  not  gone  far  from  the  city  when  Joseph  said  to 
his  steward,  "  Up,  follow  after  the  men,  and  say,  Why  have  ye  re- 
warded evil  for  good  ?  The  cup  you  have  stolen  is  one  in  which 
my  lord  drinketh,  and  whereby  he  divineth. "  "  God  forbid,"  they 
replied,  "  that  thy  servants  should  do  this  thing.  With  whomsoever 
it  shall  be  found,  let  him  die,  and  we  also  will  become  thy  lord's 
bondmen."  The  cup  Avas  found  in  Benjamin's  sack.  At  once 
they  rent  their  clothes  and  returned  to  the  city.  Judah  and  his 
brethren  made  their  way  to  Joseph's  house  and  fell  before  him 
on  the  ground.  "What  shall  we  say  unto  my  lord?"  he  said. 
"  How  shall  we  clear  ourselves?  Behold  we  arc  all  my  lord's  serv- 
ants." "God  forbid  that  I  should  do  so,"  said  Joseph.  "  The 
man  in  whose  hand  the   cup  is  found,  he  shall  be  my  servant.' 


B.C.  1S22-1G35.    JACOB  SENT  FOR  BY  JOSEPH.  53 

Then  Judah  came  near  to  him,  and  with  most  moving  eloquence 
told  his  artless  tale,  offering  to  become  a  bondman  instead  of 
Benjamin,  and  pleading  with  unequalled  earnestness  and  filial  af- 
fection that  the  lad  might  be  sent  back  to  his  father.  "It  shall 
come  to  pass,"  he  said,  "  that,  as  his  life  is  bound  up  in  the  lad's 
life,  when  he  seeth  that  the  lad  is  not  with  us,  he  will  die  ;  and  thy 
servants  shall  bring  down  the  gray  hairs  of  our  father  with  sorrow 
to  the  grave  "  (Gen.  xliv.). 

Joseph  was  unable  to  resist  this  touching  appeal.  He  could  not 
refrain  himself,  but  wept  aloud,  and  said  unto  his  brethren,  "  I  am 
Joseph.  Doth  my  father  yet  live  ?"  They  could  not  answer  him, 
for  they  were  troubled  at  his  presence.  But  no  word  of  upbraid- 
ing or  of  reproach  fell  from  his  lips.  "  Be  not  grieved  or  angry 
with  yourselves,"  he  said,  "  that  ye  sold  me  hither.  It  was  not  you 
that  sent  me  hither,  but  God.  Hasten  back  to  my  father,  and  say 
unto  him,  Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph,  God  hath  made  me  lord  of 
all  Egypt :  come  down  unto  me,  tarry  not.  And  thou  shalt  dwell 
in  the  land  of  Goshen,  and  be  near  unto  me."  Then  he  fell  upon 
his  brother  Benjamin's  neck  and  wept,  and  Benjamin  wept  upon  his 
neck.     Moreover,  he  kissed  all  his  brethren,  and  wept  upon  them. 

It  was  soon  known  in  Pharaoh's  house  that  Joseph's  brethren 
were  come ;  and  the  king  and  his  servants  were  glad.  Joseph  then 
sent  wagons  for  his  father  and  his  household,  with  rich  presents, 
and  to  all  his  brethren  he  gave  changes  of  raiment.  And  they 
returned  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  said  to  their  father,  "  Joseph 
is  yet  alive,  and  he  is  governor  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt."  But 
Jacob's  heart  fainted,  for  he  believed  them  not  at  first,  until  he  had 
seen  the  wagons  sent  for  him,  and  then  his  spirit  revived,  and  he 
said,  "  It  is  enough,  Joseph  my  son  is  yet  alive.  I  will  go  and  see 
him  before  I  die  "  (Gen.  xlv.). 

Though  at  that  time  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  old, 
Jacob's  eager  desire  to  see  the  son  for  whom  he  had  so  long 
mourned  induced  him  to  go  down  at  once,  with  all  that  he  had, 
into  Egypt.  On  his  way,  he  rested  at  Beer-sheba,  and  offered  sac- 
rifices unto  the  God  of  hu  father  Isaac.  There  God  encouraged 
him  by  a  vision,  commanding  him  to  go  down,  and  promising  to 
bring  him  up  again  in  the  person  of  his  descendants,  and  assuring 
him  that  his  eyes  should  be  closed  by  Joseph  (Gen.  xlvi.  4).  So 
he  went  down,  witli  his  sons  and  their  wives  and  children,  and  all 
their  cattle.  The  number  of  his  own  descendants  who  went  down 
with  him  into  Egypt  was  sixty-six ;  to  these  must  be  added  Jacob 
himself,  with  Joseph  and  his  two  sons.  Thus  "all  the  souls  of 
the  house  of  Jacob  which  came  with  him  into  Egypt  were  three- 
score and  ten  "  (Gen.  xlvi.  27). 


54  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  Ill 

Just  before  reaching  the  land  of  Goshen — a  province  on  the  ex- 
treme frontier  of  Egypt,  towards  Canaan — Jacob  sent  Judah  on  in 
advance,  to  acquaint  Joseph  with  bis  arrival.  Joseph  immediately 
went  to  meet  his  father  ;  and  wbeu  he  saw  him  he  fell  on  his  neck, 
and  wept  on  his  neck  a  good  while.  "Now,"  said  Israel,  "let 
me  die,  since  I  have  seen  thy  face,  because  thou  art  yet  alive '" 
(Gen.  xlvi.  30).  Joseph  then  went  and  told  Pharaoh  that  his  fa- 
ther and  his  brethren  had  come  out  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  he 
presented  five  of  them  to  him.  The  king,  when  he  found  that  they 
were  shepherds,  a  class  held  in  abomination  by  the  Egyptians,  gave 
them  for  their  separate  abode  the  land  of  Goshen,  which  was  the 
best  pasture-ground  in  all  Egypt.  Joseph  then  brought  his  father 
into  the  presence  of  Pharaoh,  and  "Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh." 
"How  old  art  thou?"  said  the  king  to  him.  "The  days  of  my 
pilgrimage,"  he  answered,  "are  one  hundred  and  thirty  years: 
few  and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of  my  life  been,  nor  have 
they  attained  to  the  days  of  the  years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers  in 
the  days  of  their  pilgrimage  "  (Gen.  xlvii.  9).  These  words  furnish 
a  testimony  to  the  gradual  decline  of  human  life,  and  are  a  mem- 
orable example  of  how  the  patriarchs  confessed  that  they  were 
strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth  (Heb.  xi.  13). 

The  removal  of  the  chosen  family  from  Canaan,  and  their  settle- 
ment in  Egypt,  formed  a  part  of  the  great  plan  which  God  had  un- 
folded to  their  forefather  Abraham  (Gen.  xv.  13).  Two  hundred 
years  had  passed  away  since  God  had  said,  "Unto  thy  seed  will  I 
give  this  land,"  and  as  yet  they  had  no  possessions  in  the  land  of 
Canaan.  In  Egypt,  under  the  discipline  of  affliction,  the  family 
was  to  be  consolidated  into  a  nation.  Then  God's  words  would 
meet  with  their  fulfillment,  and  the  Israelites  would  enter  on  the 
possession  of  their  promised  inheritance. 

After  dwelling  in  the  land  of  Goshen  for  seventeen  vears  in  com- 
fort and  prosperity,  "the  time  drew  nigh  that  Israel  must  die." 
As  his  end  approached,  he  sent  for  Joseph,  and  made  him  swear 
that  he  would  not  bury  him  in  Egypt,  but  would  take  him  to  the 
Promised  Land,  and  "  bury  him  in  the  burying-place  of  his  fathers," 
in  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  In  thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  mercies 
vouchsafed  to  him  during  a  troubled  life,  and  for  the  solemn  assur- 
ance given  to  him  by  his  son  that  he  should  be  "gathered  to  his 
fathers,"  Israel  bowed  himself  upon  the  bed's  head  (Gen.  xlvii.  31) 
and  worshipped  (Heb.  xi.  21). 

Not  long  afterwards  Joseph  heard  that  his  father  was  sick,  and 
went  with  his  two  sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim,  to  visit  him. 
When  Jacob  heard  that  he  was  come,  his  strength  revived,  and  he 
eat  up  in  his  bed  to  receive  him.     The  dying  patriarch  claimed 


B.C.  1822-1635.        DEATH  OF  JACOB.  55 

Ephraira  and  Manasseh  for  his  own  children,  and  henceforth  they 
were  numbered  among  the  heads  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.  His 
thoughts  then  went  back  to  the  glorious  promises  God  had  once 
made  to  him  at  the  crisis  of  his  i-eligious  life,  when  he  lay  down  to 
rest  a  forlorn  wanderer  at  Luz  (Bethel).  And  then  they  turned  to 
the  death  of  his  beloved  Rachel  on  his  return  from  Padan,  and  to 
her  burial  near  Ephrath  (Bethlehem).  His  eyes  being  dim  from 
age,  he  did  not  at  first  see  Joseph's  two  sons  ;  but  when  they  were 
brought  near  to  him,  he  kissed  them  and  embraced  them,  fondly 
saying  to  Joseph,  "  I  had  not  thought  to  see  thy  face  ;  and,  lo,  God 
hath  showed  me  thy  seed  also"  (Gen.  xlviii.  11).  Joseph,  having 
received  his  father's  blessing,  then  took  his  two  sons,  and,  bowing 
himself  with  his  face  to  the  earth,  placed  Manasseh  the  elder  at  Ja- 
cob's right  hand  and  Ephraim  the  younger  at  his  left.  Jacob,  how- 
ever, crossing  his  arms,  laid  his  right  hand  upon  the  younger,  and 
his  left  upon  the  elder,  and,  disregarding  Joseph's  opposition,  he 
gave  the  larger  and  nobler  blessing  to  Ephraim  the  younger.  "Tru- 
ly," said  he,  "  the  younger  brother  shall  be  greater  than  the  elder, 
and  his  seed  shall  become  a  multitude  of  nations"  (Gen,  xlviii. 
19).  Thus  was  added  another  instance  of  God's  sovereign  choice 
to  the  examples  of  Abel,  Shem,  Abram,  Isaac,  who,  like  the  patri- 
arch Jacob  himself,  were  all  younger  sons. 

Having  given  his  separate  and  special  blessing  to  Joseph  him- 
self and  his  two  sons,  and  bestowed  upon  Joseph  an  extra  portion 
above  his  brethren  (Gen.  xlviii.  22),  thus  marking  him  as  his  heir, 
he  called  together  all  his  sons  to  hear  the  last  words  of  Israel  their 
father,  that  he  might  tell  them  what  would  befall  them  in  the  last 
days  (Gen.  xlix.). 

It  is  evident  that  the  blessings  and  the  prophecies  of  the  dying 
patriarch  were  a  formal  appointment  of  his  twelve  sons  to  be  the 
twelve  heads  of  the  chosen  race,  and  that  they  had  respect  to  the 
tribes  as  well  as  to  their  individual  ancestors.  At  the  end  of  his 
charge,  he  gave  to  all  his  sons,  collectively,  the  same  command  that 
he  had  previously  gi"en  to  Joseph  individually,  "I  am  to  be  gath- 
ered unto  my  people.  Bury  me  with  my  fathers"  in  the  cave  of 
Machpelah  (Gen.  xlix.  29),  and,  "gathering  up  his  feet  into  the 
bed,  he  yielded  up  the  ghost,"  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven. 

Joseph  then  fell  upon  his  father's  face,  and  passionately  wept 
over  him  and  kissed  him.  He  afterwards  gave  orders  for  his  body 
to  be  embalmed,  which  occupied  forty  days,  and  there  was  a  public 
mourning  for  him  among  the  Egyptians,  which  lasted  altogether 
seventy  days.  With  Pharaoh's  permission,  he  then  went,  with  all 
his  brethren,  and  the  elders  both  of  Israel  and  of  Egypt,  and  a  great 


5G 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  III. 


company  of  chariots  and  of  horsemen,  to  bury  his  father  in  the  land 
of  Canaan. 

To  avoid,  probably,  the  tribes  of  the  frontier,  they  did  not  take 
the  nearest  road,  but  made  a  circuit  to  Atad,  a  little  to  the  west  of 
the  Jordan,  where  they  kept  so  great  and  sore  a  lamentation  for 
seven  days  that  the  astonished  Canaanites  called  the  place  Abel- 
Mizraim  (t/<e  mourning  of  Egypt).  Thence  they  continued  their 
journey  to  Hebron,  and  there  buried  him  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah, 
as  he  had  commanded  them  (Gen.  1.  12,  13).  After  the  burial  of  Ja- 
cob, Joseph  and  all  his  company  returned  to  Egypt.  He  outlived 
his  father  about  fifty-four  years.  He  saw  Ephraim's  children  of 
the  third  generation,  and  had  Manasseh's  grandchildren  on  his 
knees  (Gen.  1.  23).  At  length  he  died,  aged  one  hundred  and  ten 
years.  His  body  was  embalmed  and  preserved  in  a  coffin  (sarcoph- 
agus), but  not  buried.  The  last  instructions  that  he  gave  his 
brethren,  and  made  them  swear  that  they  would  fulfill,  were,  "God 
will  surely  visit  you,  and  bring  you  out  of  this  land  unto  the  land 
which  he  sware  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob.  And  ye  shall 
carry  up  my  bones  from  hence  "  (Gen.  1.  24,  25).  From  that  time 
forward  the  coffin  with  Joseph's  remains  bore  silent  witness  to  the 
fact  that  the  children  of  Israel  were  only  temporary  sojourners  in 
the  land  of  Egypt.  When  God  led  them  fortli  under  Moses,  they 
did  not  forget  the  trust ;  and  when  they  were  settled  in  Canaan, 
they  buried  Joseph  at  Shechem  (Exod.  xiii.  19  ;  Josh.  xxiv.  32). 

Note.— Concerning  the  "  Pharaohs  "  (i.  e.,  Kings)  under  whom  the  events 
recorded  in  Genesis  and  Exodus  took  place,  see  the  "Smaller  Ancient  Histo- 
ry," chapters  vi.-ix.,  especially  vii.  and  ix. 


lOnnOLLTT! 


A.n  Egyptian  Sarcophagus,  on  the  funeral  sledge,  with  an  open  panel,  showing  the  head  of  the 

mummy. 


Egyptian  Archers. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

S3RAEL  IN    EGYPT. — FROM  THE    DEATH   OF    JOSEPH    TO    THE   EXODUS 
OR    DEPARTURE    FROM    EGYPT. — B.C.    1G35-1491. 

In  the  period  between  the  death  of  Joseph  and  the  beginning  of 
the  bondage  in  Egypt,  the  children  of  Israel  "increased  abundant- 
ly, and  the  land  was  filled  with  them  "  (Exod.  i.  7).  The  duration 
of  their  sojourn  there  may  be  reckoned  in  round  numbers  at  430 
years  (Exod.  xii.  41):  but  this  includes  the  whole  pilgrimage  of  the 
chosen  family,  from  the  time  when  Abram  was  called  to  leave  his 
home  for  "a  land  that  he  should  afterward  receive  as  an  inherit- 
ance," to  the  time  when  his  heirs  did  actually  receive  it.  The 
bondage  itself  was  probably  about  one  hundred  years,  as  the  whole 
period  from  the  death  of  Joseph  to  the  Exodus  was  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  years  (b.c.  1G35-1491). 

The  story  of  the  affliction  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt  begins  with 
the  words,  "Now  there  arose  up  a  new  king  over  Egypt  whic^ 
knew  not  Joseph  "  (Exod.  i.  8).  The  descendants  o(  Jacoo  had 
then  grown  so  numerous  that  Pharaoh  was  afraid  that  in  the  event 


58  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IV. 

of  a  war  they  might  go  over  to  the  enemy,  and  so  escape  out  of  the 
land.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to  weaken  them  by  degrees,  by  forc- 
ing them  to  bard  labor  and  reducing  them  to  slavery.  The  service 
which  he  compelled  them  to  perform  consisted  in  field-work,  and 
especially  in  making  bricks  and  building  the  treasure-cities  Pithoin 
and  Raamses,  in  the  land  of  Goshen.  Although  the  lives  of  the 
Israelites  were  bitter  with  hard  bondage  and  oppression,  still  they 
multiplied  and  grew.  Pharaoh  then  adopted  a  more  severe  and 
cruel  course  to  diminish  their  numbers.  He  commanded  the  He- 
brew midwives  to  kill  the  male  children  at  their  birth,  but  to  let 
the  females  live.  The  midwives,  however,  "  feared  God  "  and  dis- 
oheyed  the  king,  and  they  saved  all  the  children  that  were  born. 
Pharaoh  then  charged  all  his  people  to  cast  the  new-born  sons  of 
the  Israelites  into  the  river,  but  to  save  the  daughters  (Exod.  i. 
8-22). 

Pharaoh's  edict  led,  by  the  Divine  providence,  to  the  bringing  up 
at  his  own  court  of  that  very  child  whom  God  designed  to  be  the 
future  deliverer  of  his  people  Israel.  Amram,  the  son  of  Kohath, 
son  of  Levi,  bad  for  his  wife  Jochebed,  also  of  the  tribe  of  Levi. 
They  had  already  two  children,  a  daughter  called  Miriam,  and  a 
son  named  Aaron.  Soon  after  the  king  bad  issued  his  edict,  an- 
other son  was  born  to  them.  The  child  was  so  very  fine  and  good- 
ly, that  his  mother  could  not  bear  to  part  with  him  in  obedience  to 
the  cruel  ordinance.  She  hid  him,  therefore,  three  months.  When 
she  could  no  longer  conceal  him,  she  was  forced  to  expose  him  like 
the  rest.  Accordingly,  taking  a  covered  basket  of  papyrus  —  the 
flags  of  which  the  Egyptians  made  their  paper  —  and  daubing  it 
with  bitumen  to  make  it  water-tight,  she  put  the  child  therein  and 
laid  it  among  the  rushes  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  leaving  Miriam 
a  little  way  off,  to  see  what  would  become  of  her  infant  brother. 
Close  to  that  spot  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  came  down  to  bathe ; 
and  as  soon  as  she  saw  the  ark,  she  sent  one  of  her  maidens  to  fetch 
it.  And  when  she  opened  it,  "behold  the  babe  wept."  Touched 
with  pity,  she  said,  "This  is  one  of  the  Hebrews'  children."  At 
this  moment  Miriam  came  forward,  and  having  asked  whether  she 
should  go  and  fetch  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew  women,  she  was  told  to 
do  so,  "when  she  went  and  called  the  child's  mother."  "Nurse 
this  child  for  me,"  said  Pharaoh's  daughter,  "and  I  will  give  thee 
thy  wages."  When  he  grew  up,  Jochebed  brought  him  to  the 
princess,  who  adopted  him  for  her  son,  and  gave  him  the  name  of 
Moses  (drawn  out),  because  she  said,  "I  drew  him  out  of  the  wa- 
ter" (Exod.  ii.  10). 

Moses  was  no  doubt  taught  by  his  Hebrew  mother  the  knowledge 
of  the  true  God,  and  the  history  as  well  as  the  destiny  of  the  chosen 


B.C.  1636-1491.     EARLY  LIFE  OF  MOSES.  59 

race.  In  all  other  respects,  he  was  brought  up  as  an  Egyptian 
prince,  and  was  instructed  in  "all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians" 
(Acts  vii.  22).  When  he  was  full  forty  years  old,  the  crisis  came 
when  he  decided  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  his  own  people,  choosing 
rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the  people  of  God  than  to  enjoy  the 
treasures  in  Egypt,  for  he  regarded  "  the  recompense  of  the  re- 
ward "  (Heb.  xi.  25,  2G).  This  was  the  time  when  he  went  forth  to 
make  himself  acquainted  with  the  state  of  his  brethren.  The  first 
sight  he  saw  was  an  Egyptian  overseer  beating  one  of  the  Hebrews 
who  worked  under  him.  Stung  with  indignation,  after  looking 
round  to  see  that  no  one  was  near,  he  killed  the  Egyptian  on  the 
spot,  and  buried  his  body  in  the  sand.  When  he  went  out  the  next 
day,  he  saw  two  men  of  the  Hebrews  striving  together;  and  his 
interference  was  scornfully  rejected  by  the  wrong-doer,  who  asked 
him,  "Who  made  thee  a  prince  and  a  judge  over  us?  Intendest 
thou  to  kill  me  as  thou  killedst  the  Egyptian  ?"  The  story  reached 
the  ears  of  Pharaoh,  and  he  ordered  Moses  to  be  put  to  death.  He 
fled,  however,  into  the  desert  which  surrounds  the  head  of  the  Red 
Sea,  then  inhabited  by  the  people  of  Midian,  who  were  descended 
from  Abraham  and  Keturah  (Gen.  xxv.  2).  As  he  was  one  day 
seated  beside  a  well,  the  seven  daughters  of  Jetiiro,  the  chief  or 
shcijkh  of  the  Midianites,  came  to  water  their  flocks.  The  shep- 
herds of  other  flocks,  coming  also  to  the  well,  rudely  drove  away 
the  women,  that  they  might  serve  their  own  cattle  first,  but  Moses 
helped  them  and  watered  their  flock.  When  Jethro  heard  of  this, 
he  welcomed  "the  Egyptian,"  and  Moses  dwelt  with  him,  like  Ja- 
cob with  Laban,  for  forty  years  feeding  his  flocks.  He  married  his 
daughter  Zipporah  (Exod.  ii.  21),  who  bore  him  a  son,  named  Gcr- 
shom  (a  stranger  here),  and  afterwards  a  second  son,  named  Eliezer 
(wy  God  is  a  helji). 

Moses  had  been  forty  years  in  Midian,  pondering  amidst  the 
seclusion  of  the  deserts  and  unfrequented  vales  where  he  fed  his 
flocks,  the  past  history  of  his  fathers,  and  the  condition  of  their  de- 
scendants in  Egypt,  when  God's  time  arrived  for  the  deliverance  of 
his  people.  When  the  King  of  Egypt,  from  whom  Moses  had  fled, 
lied,  the  oppression  of  the  Israelites  under  his  successor  became 
more  severe.  "And  they  cried,  and  their  cry  came  np  unto  God  by 
reason  of  the  bondage.  And  God  heard  their  groaning,  and  God 
remembered  his  covenant  with  Abraham,  with  Isaac,  and  with  Ja- 
cob "  (Exod.  ii.  23,  24). 

Moses,  while  he  was  keeping  the  flock  of  his  father-in-law  Je- 
thro, in  the  land  of  Midian,  little  thought  that  God  had  chosen  him 
to  be  the  future  deliverer  of  the  Israelites.  Yet  so  it  was.  The 
s.-ene  selected  for  the  revelation  to  him  of  his  divine  mission  i*  <?i« 


60  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IV. 

of  the  most  remarkable  spots  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  pe~ 
ninsula  of  Sinai  is  the  promontory  inclosed  between  the  two  arms 
of  the  Red  Sea,  terminating  in  its  southern  part  in  the  terrific  mass 
of  granite  rocks  known  by  the  general  name  of  Sinai.  This  desert 
region  still  furnishes  a  scanty  pasturage.  As  Moses  was  one  day 
leading  his  flock  to  its  inmost  recesses  (or  its  west  side),  he  came 
to  a  mountain  even  then  called  the  "  Mount  of  God,"  "  even  Ho- 
reb,"  from  its  sanctity  among  the  Arabs.  There  he  saw  one  of  the 
dwarf  acacias  of  the  desert  wrapt  in  flame,  which,  had  it  been  a 
natural  fire,  would  soon  have  consumed  the  dry  branches,  but  "be- 
hold the  bush  burned  with  fire,  and  the  bush  was  not  consumed." 
As  Moses  turned  aside  to  sec  this  great  sight  why  the  bush  was 
not  burnt,  the  "angelJehovah"  called  to  him  out  of  the  bush,  and 
said,  "Draw  not  nigh  hither  ;  put  off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet,  for 
the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy  ground."  The  same  voice 
then  said,  "  I  am  the  God  of  thy  father,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the 
God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob ;  I  have  surely  seen  the  afflic- 
tion of  my  people  in  Egypt,  and  I  am  come  down  to  deliver  them 
out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians.  Come  now,  therefore,  and  I  will 
send  thee  unto  Pharaoh,  that  thou  mayest  bring  forth  my  people." 
"Who  am  I,"  said  Moses,  "  that  I  should  go  unto  Pharoah,  and 
that  I  should  bring  forth  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt?" 
He  was  assured  that  God  would  be  with  him,  and  that  his  mission 
should  be  fulfilled  by  bringing  the  people  to  worship  in  that  mount- 
ain. Then  another  difficulty  arose.  So  corrupted  had  the  peo- 
ple grown  by  the  idolatry  of  Egypt,  that  they  had  most  probably 
forgotten  the  God  of  their  fathers.  They  would  ask,  "  What  is  his 
name  ?"  "  I  am  that  I  am,"  God  said  unto  Moses.  "  Thus  shall 
ye  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am  hath  sent  me  unto  you" 
(Exod.  iii.  1-14).  He  was  then  told  to  go  and  gather  the  elders 
of  Israel  together,  and  to  tell  them  that  the  God  of  Abraham,  of 
Isaac,  and  of  Jacob  had  appeared  unto  him,  and  had  said,  "  I  will 
bring  you  up  out  of  the  affliction  of  Egypt  unto  the  land  of  the  Ca- 
naanites — a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  "They  will  not 
believe  me,"  answered  Moses.  "They  will  say,  'The  Lord  hath 
not  appeared  unto  thee.'  "  To  remove  the  doubts  of  Moses  about 
his  reception  by  the  people,  God  added  two  signs,  which  he  wrought 
in  his  presence.  The  first  was  by  turning  his  rod  into  a  serpent, 
and  then  into  a  rod  again.  The  second  was  by  making  his  hand 
as  white  with  leprosy  as  snow,  and  then  turning  it  again  as  his  oth- 
er flesh.  To  these  signs  was  added  a  third,  the  power  to  turn  the 
water  of  the  Nile  to  blood  (Exod.  iv.  1-9). 

But  the  clearer  his  mission  was  made  to  him,  the  more  reluctant 
did  he  feel  to  undertake  th     arduous  work.      He  next  pleads  his 


B.C.  1G35-1491.  MISSION  OF  MOSES.  01 

want  of  eloquence.  "  O,  my  Lord,"  he  says,  "  I  am  not  eloquent ; 
I  am  slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue."  He  was  now  eighty 
years  of  age;  for  forty  years  he  had  spent  a  quiet  and  solitary 
life,  and  the  self-confidence  of  his  earlier  years  had  passed  away. 
"  Go,"  said  the  Lord,  "  and  I  will  be  with  thy  mouth,  and  teach  theo 
what  thou  shalt  say."  As  he  was  still  reluctant,  he  was  told  that 
his  brother  Aaron  would  meet  him  on  his  arrival  in  Egypt ;  "  ho 
can  speak  well,  and  he  shall  be  thy  spokesman  unto  the  people." 
But  yet  the  word  was  not  to  be  Aaron's  own.  The  two  great  func- 
tions conferred  by  the  divine  mission  were  therefore  thus  divided: 
Moses  became  the  prophet,  and  Aaron  the  jiriest. 

Moses  then  quitted  Horeb  and  returned  to  Jethro.  "Let  me  go, 
I  pray  thee,"  he  said  to  him,  "and  see  whether  my  brethren  in  Egypt 
are  yet  alive."  "Go  in  peace,"  said  Jethro.  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses  in  Midian,  "  Go,  return  into  Egypt,  for  all  the  men  are  dead 
which  sought  thy  life  "  (Exod.  iv.  18,  10).  Aaron,  by  the  command 
of  God,  went  forth  into  the  desert  to  meet  Moses.  They  met  at 
Horeb,  at  the  mount  of  God,  the  very  spot  where  Moses  had  re- 
ceived the  revelation.  There  he  informed  his  brother  Aaron  of  the 
mission  on  which  he  was  sent,  and  of  the  signs  with  which  it  had 
been  accompanied.  On  reaching  the  land  of  Goshen,  they  assem- 
bled the  elders  of  Israel.  "And  Aaron  spake  all  the  words  which 
the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  Moses,  and  did  the  signs  in  the  sight  of 
the  people.  And  the  people  believed :  and  when  they  heard  that 
the  Lord  had  looked  upon  their  affliction,  they  bowed  their  heads 
and  worshipped"  (Exod.  iv.  30,  31).  Moses  and  Aaron  next  sought 
the  presence  of  Pharaoh,  to  open  the  mission  with  which  they  were 
charged.  They  told  him  that  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  had  said, 
"Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  hold  a  feast  unto  me  in  the 
wilderness"  (Exod.  v.  1).  "  Who  is  the  Lord,"  said  Pharaoh,  "that 
I  should  obey  his  voice  ?  I  know  not  the  Lord,  neither  will  I  let 
Israel  go."  Not  only  did  the  king  refuse  their  request,  but  the 
very  same  day  he  increased  the  burdens  of  the  Israelites.  He  com- 
manded the  Egyptian  task-masters  no  longer  to  give  them  the 
chopped  straw  which  was  necessary  to  bind  the  friable  earth  into 
bricks,  so  that  the  people  had  to  lose  their  time  in  gathering  straw 
out  of  the  fields  for  themselves.  But  still  the  full  tale  of  bricks 
was  exacted  from  them.  "They  be  idle,"  said  the  king,  "there- 
fore they  cry,  saying,  Let  us  go  and  sacrifice  to  our  God."  The 
people,  with  this  additional  work,  could  no  longer  make  the  same 
number  of  bricks  as  before,  and  then  the  Hebrew  overseers,  who 
were  under  the  Egyptian  task-masters,  were  beaten.  They  went  to 
Pharaoh,  therefore,  to  make  their  troubles  known.  "There  is  no 
etraw  given  to  thy  servants,"  they  said,  "  and  yet  we  are  required  to 


62  SCRIPTURE. HISTOEY.  Chap.  IV. 

make  brick."  Their  appeal  was  rejected :  as  they  left  the  king 
they  met  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  turned  upon  them,  accusing  them 
of  making  the  people  to  be  still  more  abhorred  of  Pharaoh  and  his 
servants  (Exod.  v.  21). 

In  this  strait,  Moses  complained  to  God  that  his  mission  to  Pha- 
raoh had  served  no  other  purpose  than  to  increase  the  affliction 
of  the  people.  God  then  renewed  his  promise,  and  assured  him 
that  his  time  was  at  hand.  "Now  thou  shalt  see  what  I  will  do  to 
Pharaoh.  I  appeared  of  old,"  he  said,  "  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac, 
and  unto  Jacob  by  the  name  of  God  Almighty,  but  by  my  name 
Jehovah  was  I  not  known  to  them  "  (Exod.  vi.  3).  After  this  rev- 
elation of  His  great  name,  the  Lord  made  mention  of  the  covenant 
He  had  established  to  give  them  the  land  of  Canaan.  "  I  have  also 
heard  the  groaning  of  the  children  of  Israel  whom  the  Egyptians 
keep  in  bondage,  and  I  have  remembered  my  covenant.  And  I  will 
redeem  the  people  out  of  Egypt  with  a  stretched-out  arm  and  with 
great  judgments."  Moses  spake  all  this  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
but  they  were  too  heart-broken  to  accept  the  consolation.  Jehovah 
then  gave  Moses  and  Aaron  their  final  charge  to  bring  the  people 
out  of  Egypt,  warning  them  that  Pharaoh  would  resist,  but  that 
his  resistance  would  only  give  occasion  for  more  signal  displays  of 
His  own  power.  He  would  multiply  His  signs  and  His  wonders  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  that  the  Egyptians  might  know  that  he  was  the 
Lord  (Exod.  vii.  5). 

Then  began  that  memorable  contest  between  the  King  of  Egypt 
and  the  King  of  kings,  the  type  of  all  others  between  the  power 
of  God  and  the  hardened  heart  of  man,  which  was  stilled  only  in 
the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea.  Moses  and  Aaron  again  entered  the  pres- 
ence of  Pharaoh,  and,  to  confirm  their  mission,  Aaron  cast  down  his 
rod,  and  it  became  a  serpent.  This  was  the  first  miracle  wrought 
by  them;  but  Pharaoh,  still  incredulous,  sent  for  the  magicians  of 
Egypt,  who  did  likewise  with  their  enchantments.  The  rod  of 
Aaron  then  swallowed  up  those  of  the  Egyptians.  But  Pharaoh's 
heart  was  still  hardened,  so  that  he  hearkened  not  unto  them,  as  the 
Lord  had  said  (Exod.  vii.  13).  The  following  morning,  Moses  was 
directed  to  remind  Pharaoh  of  his  refusal  to  let  the  Israelites  go  and 
serve  God  in  the  wilderness,  and,  as  his  heart  was  hardened  against 
conviction,  to  teach  him  by  suffering  that  Jehovah  was  the  Lord. 
The  miracles  that  followed  were  judgments  on  the  king,  the  people, 
and  their  gods,  forming  the  Ten  Plagues  of  Egypt. 

i.  The  Plague  of  Blood. — After  a  warning  to  Pharaoh,  Aaron, 
at  the  word  of  Moses,  lifted  up  his  rod,  and  smote  the  Nile  in  the 
sight  of  the  king  and  of  his  servants,  and  the  river,  with  all  ita 
canals  and  reservoirs  and  every  vessel  of  water  drawn  from  them, 


B.C.  1635-1491.         THE  TEN  PLAGUES.  C8 

was  turned  into  blood.  The  fish  died;  the' river  stank,  and  the 
Egyptians  could  not  drink  of  its  waters,  but  had  to  obtain  water  to 
drink  by  digging  wells.  The  miracle  lasted  for  seven  days;  but  as 
it  was  imitated  by  the  magicians  of  Egypt  with  their  enchantments, 
it  produced  no  impression  upon  Pharaoh.  His  heart  was  still 
hardened  (Exod.  vii.  19-25  :  comp.  Psalm  cv.). 

ii.  The  Plague  of  Frogs. — When  Moses  and  Aaron  were  again 
sent  to  Pharaoh,  Moses  was  directed  by  the  Lord  to  say,  "  Let  my 
people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  And  if  thou  refuse  to  let  them 
go,  behold  I  will  smite  all  thy  borders  with  frogs."  In  obedience 
to  the  Divine  command,  Aaron  stretched  forth  his  hand  with  his 
rod  over  the  waters  of  Egypt,  and  the  frogs  came  up  from  their 
natural  haunts,  and  swarmed  in  countless  numbers,  "even  in  the 
chambers  of  their  kings,"  and  defiled  the  very  ovens  and  kneading- 
troughs.  From  this  plague  there  was  no  escape,  and,  though  it 
was  imitated  by  the  magicians,  Pharaoh  was  reduced  to  send  for 
Moses,  and  was  fain  to  seek  relief  through  prayer,  and  by  promising 
to  let  the  people  go.  On  the  morrow  the  frogs  died  where  they 
were — out  of  the  houses,  out  of  the  villages,  and  out  of  the  fields— 
and  they  were  gathered  together  upon  heaps,  and  the  land  stank. 
But  when  Pharaoh  saw  that  there  was  respite,  he  hardened  his 
heart  and  refused  to  keep  his  word  (Exod.  viii.  2-15). 

iii.  The  Plague  of  Lire. — From  the  waters  and  marshes  the  pow- 
er of  God  passed  on  to  the  dry  land.  When  smitten  by  Aaron's 
rod,  the  very  dust  became  lice  in  man  and  in  beast.  The  magi- 
cians did  the  same  with  their  enchantments,  but  they  could  not 
bring  forth  lice.  Then  they  said  unto  Pharaoh,  "This  is  the  fin- 
ger of  God  ;"  but  he  hearkened  not  unto  them,  for  his  heart  was 
still  hardened  (Exod.  viii.  1G-19). 

iv.  The  Plague  of  Flies  or  Beetles.— -Moses  was  now  directed  to 
threaten  Pharaoh  with  another  plague  if  he  refused  to  let  the  people 
go.  As  he  continued  obstinate,  after  the  river  and  the  land,  the 
air  was  now  smitten.  Swarms  of  flies  filled  the  air,  and  came  into 
the  houses  and  devoured  the  land ;  but  Goshen  was  free  from  the 
plague.  Pharaoh  then  sent  for  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  gave  per- 
mission for  the  Israelites  to  sacrifice  to  their  God  in  the  land;  but 
Moses  replied  that  the  Egyptians  would  stone  them  if  they  sacri- 
ficed the  creatures  they  worshipped.  He  demanded  that  they 
might  go  three  days'  journey  into  the  wilderness.  Pharaoh  now 
yielded ;  but  no  sooner  was  the  plague  removed  by  the  prayer  of 
Moses,  than  he  hardened  his  heart  at  this  time  also,  neither  would 
he  let  the  people  go  (Exod.  viii.  21-32). 

v.  Plague  of  the  Murrain  of  jBeaste.— Still  coming  closer  and 
closer  to  the  Egyptians,  God  next  sent  a  disease  upon  the  cattle. 


64  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IV. 

At  the  set  time,  all  the  cattle  of  Egypt  died,  but  of  the  cattle  of  the 
children  of  Israel  died  not  one.  Still  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was 
hardened,  and  he  did  not  let  the  people  go  (Exod.  ix.  4-7). 

vi.  The  Plague  of  Boils  and  Blains. — The  next  plague  came 
closer  still.  From  the  cattle  the  hand  of  God  reached  to  their  own 
persons.  Moses  and  Aaron  were  commanded  to  take  handfuls  of 
ashes  of  the  furnace,  and  sprinkle  them  towards  the  heaven  in  the 
sight  of  Pharaoh.  They  did  so ;  and  it  became  a  boil  breaking 
forth  with  blains  upon  man  and  upon  beast.  The  magicians,  be- 
ing themselves  smitten  with  boils,  could  not  appear  before  Moses. 
Pharaoh,  however,  remained  unmoved  (Exod.  ix.  8-12). 

vii.  The  Plague  of  Hail.- — The  first  six  plagues  had  been  attend- 
ed with  much  sufFering  and  some  loss,  but  the  lives  of  the  Egyp- 
tians and  their  means  of  subsistence  had  not  yet  been  touched. 
Moses  was  now  sent  to  threaten  Pharaoh  with  a  more  terrible 
judgment.  He  was  charged  to  make  the  usual  demand  of  the 
king.  "  Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me.  Or  else  I 
will  this  time  send  all  my  plagues  upon  thine  heart,  that  thou  may- 
est  know  that  there  is  none  like  me  in  all  the  earth."  First  of  all, 
they  were  threatened  with  a  very  grievous  storm  of  hail.  Pharaoh 
was  told  to  send  and  collect  his  cattle  and  men  under  shelter,  for 
that  every  thing  would  die  upon  which  the  hail  descended.  Some 
of  the  king's  servants  heeded  the  warning  thus  given,  and  brought 
in  their  cattle  from  the  field.  Others  disregarded  it,  and  left  them 
where  they  were.  Then  the  Lord  sent  a  terrific  storm  of  hail,  thun- 
der, and  fire  running  along  upon  the  ground,  such  as  had  never 
been  seen  in  Egypt.  All  that  was  in  the  field,  both  man  and 
beast,  was  killed  ;  plants  were  destroyed,  and  trees  broken  to  pieces. 
But  in  the  land  of  Goshen  there  was  no  hail.  Pharaoh,  more 
moved  than  he  had  yet  been,  confessed  that  he  had  sinned,  prayed 
that  the  thunder  and  hail  might  cease,  and  promised  to  let  the 
people  go.  Moses  consented  to  prove  to  him  once  more  how  that 
the  earth  is  the  Lord's.  The  storm  ceased  at  his  prayer  ;  but  when 
Pharaoh  perceived  that  it  was  over,  "  he  sinned  yet  more,  and  hard- 
ened his  heart,  he  and  his  servants"  (Exod.  ix.  23-3-1). 

viii.  The  Plague  of  Locusts. — The  herbage  which  the  storm  had 
spared  was  now  given  up  to  a  terrible  destroyer.  After  a  fresh 
summons  and  a  fresh  warning,  Pharaoh  seemed  inclined  to  let  the 
men  go;  but  when  he  found  that  they  wanted  to  take  with  them 
their  wives,  their  children,  and  their  cattle,  he  was  highly  incensed, 
and  Moses  and  Aaron  were  driven  out  from  his  presence.  On 
quitting  the  palace,  Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  over  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  an  east  wind  sprang  up,  bringing  with  it  by  the  next 
morning  myriads  of  locusts,  which  alighted  upon  the  fields  green 


B.C.  1635-1491.    THE  PASSOVER  INSTITUTED.  65 

with  the  young  blades  of  corn,  so  that  the  land  was  darkened,  and 
in  a  little  time  they  ate  up  every  blade  of  grass,  and  every  green 
thing  that  the  hail  had  left.  Pharaoh  then  called  in  haste  for 
Moses  and  Aaron.  "Forgive,  I  pray  thee,  my  sin  only  this  once," 
he  cries,  "  and  entreat  God  to  take  away  from  me  this  death  only." 
Then  the  Lord  sent  a  strong  west  wind,  which  took  away  the  lo- 
custs, as  an  east  wind  had  brought  them  ;  but  their  removal  left  his 
heart  harder  than  ever  (Exod.  x.  1-20). 

ix.,  x.  The  Plague  of  Darkness,  and  the  Prediction  of  the  Death  oj 
<he  First-born. — Still  Pharaoh  remained  obdurate.  For  three  days, 
therefore,  there  was  a  thick  darkness  over  the  sunny  land  of  Egypt, 
"  even  darkness  which  might  be  felt ;  while  all  the  children  of  Is- 
rael had  light  in  their  dwellings.''  While  it  lasted,  the  Egyptians 
were  unable  to  see  one  another,  or  to  stir  out  of  their  houses. 
Pharaoh  then  sent  for  Moses,  and  said  that  they  might  go,  with 
their  wives  and  children,  but  their  flocks  must  be  left.  Moses  re- 
plied :  "  Our  cattle  also  shall  go  with  us  ;  there  shall  not  a  hoof  be 
left  behind."  Pharaoh  refused,  and  with  threats  he  forbade  Moses 
to  see  his  face  again.  "In  that  day  thou  seest  my  face  thou  shall 
die."  At  the  end  of  the  interview,  Moses  denounced  the  final  judg- 
ment, which  had  been  the  one  great  penalty  threatened  from  the 
beginning,  for  the  midnight  of  that  same  day.  "1  will  go  out, 
saith  the  Lord,  into  the  midst  of  Egypt,  and  all  the  first-born  in  the 
land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  and  there  shall  be  a  great  cry  throughout 
all  the  land  of  Egypt"  (Exod.  x.  21-xi.  G). 

The  contest  was  now  over.  The  doom  of  Pharaoh  and  of  his 
people  for  their  oppression  of  God's  people  had  gone  forth.  Moses 
returned  in  great  anger  to  Goshen :  the  Egyptians,  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  third  day  of  darkness,  sat  awaiting  the  terrible  stroke 
which  was  to  fall  on  them  at  midnight.  Now  was  instituted,  ac- 
cording to  God's  command,  the  great  observance  of  the  Mosaical 
dispensation,  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  (Exod.  xii.). 

The  day,  reckoned  from  sunset  to  sunset,  on  the  night  of  which 
the  first-born  of  Egypt  were  slain  and  the  Israelites  departed,  was 
the  fourteenth  of  the  Jewish  month  Nisan,  or  Abib  (March  to  April). 
It  was  then  the  seventh  month  of  the  civil  year  ;  thenceforth  it  was 
to  be  the  Jirst  month  of  the  sacred  year.  Preparations  for  this  feast 
had  been  begun,  by  the  command  of  God,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
month.  Each  household  had  then  chosen  a  yearling  lamb  (or  kid) 
without  blemish.  This  "Paschal  Lamb"  was  set  apart  till  the 
evening,  which  began  the  fourteenth  day,  when  it  was  killed  as  a 
sacrifice  between  the  ninth  hour  and  the  twelfth  (sunset)  in  every 
family  of  Israel.  On  this  night,  moreover,  they  were  to  save  some 
of  the  blood  and  sprinkle  it  with  a  bunch  of  hyssop  on  the  lintel 
nnd  door-posts   of  the   house,  that  the   destroying  angel,  when  he 

E 


66  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IV 

passed  through  the  land  to  smite  all  the  first-born  both  of  man  and 
beast,  might  pass  over  the  houses  where  he  saw  the  token  of  the 
blood.  The  families  of  Israel  were  to  eat  the  lamb,  roasted  but 
not  boiled,  with  unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs.  The  bones 
were  not  to  be  broken ;  but  they  were  to  be  burnt  in  the  morning 
with  any  of  the  flesh  that  was  left  uneaten.  The}'  were  to  eat  it  in 
haste,  with  their  loins  girded,  their  sandals  en  their  feet,  their  staff 
In  their  hand,  like  men  setting  forth  on  a  long  journey.  For  seven 
days  after  the  feast,  from  the  fourteenth  to  the  twenty-first  of  Ni- 
san,  they  were  to  eat  only  unleavened  bread,  and  to  have  no  leaven 
in  their  houses  under  penalty  of  death.  The  first  and  last  of  these 
days  were  to  be  kept  with  a  holy  convocation,  and  free  from  all 
manner  of  work.  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  was  to  be  kept 
throughout  their  generations — a  feast  by  an  ordinance  forever  ;  and 
fathers  were  specially  enjoined  to  teach  their  children  the  meaning 
of  this  service. 

The  Israelites  had  finished  the  Paschal  feast,  and  were  awaiting 
in  their  houses,  in  awful  suspense,  the  great  event  which  was  to  ac- 
complish their  deliverance.  "At  midnight  the  Lord  smote  all  the 
first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt  with  immediate  death,  from  the  first- 
born of  Pharaoh  that  sat  on  the  throne  unto  the  first-born  of  the 
captive  in  the  dungeon  ;  and  all  the  first-born  of  cattle.  And  Pha- 
raoh rose  up  in  the  night,  with  all  his  servants,  and  there  was  a 
great  cry  in  Egypt ;  for  there  was  not  a  house  where  there  was  not 
one  dead "  (Exod.  xii.  29,  30).  His  hardened  heart  gave  way. 
He  at  once  sent  for  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  all  his  people  joined  with 
him  in  urging  the  instant  departure  of  the  Israelites,  with  their 
children  and  their  cattle.  They  were  sent  forth  with  such  haste 
that  they  had  not  even  time  to  prepare  food,  but  took  the  dough 
before  it  was  leavened,  in  their  kneading-troughs  bound  up  in  their 
clothes  upon  their  shoulders,  with  which  they  made  unleavened 
cakes  at  their  first  halt.  But  amidst  all  this  haste,  Moses  did  not 
forget  to  carry  away  the  bones  of  Joseph.  The  host  numbered 
600,000  men  on  foot  able  to  bear  arms,  besides  children,  from  which 
the  total  number  of  souls  is  estimated  at  not  less  than  2,500,000. 
Their  march  was  conducted  with  order  and  discipline  (Exod.  xiii. 
18),  and  was  guided  by  Jehovah  himself,  "who  went  before  them 
by  day  in  a  pillar  of  a  cloud,  to  lead  them  the  way  ;  and  by  night 
iu  a  pillar  of  a  fire,  to  give  them  light." 

This  Exodus  or  departure  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  closed  the 
four  hundred  and  thirty  years  of  their  pilgrimage  (Exod.  xii.  40), 
which  began  from  the  call  of  Abraham  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees. 
Having  been  welded  by  affliction  into  a  nation,  they  were  now  call- 
ed forth  to  receive  the  laws  of  their  new  state  amidst  the  awful  soli- 
tudes of  Sinai. 


Hji!i^ii^!lgi!ii.i!l!!l!aii'!,'':::i;|l7 
Bronze  figure  of  Apis. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  EXODUS  AND  THE  LAW. B.C.    149  \     90. 

The  whole  journey  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  into  the  Land 
of  Promise  may,  in  a  general  view,  he  divided  into  three  separate 
portions  : 

i.  The  March  out  of  Egypt  to  Mount  Sinai,  there  to  worship  Je- 
hovah, as  he  had  said  to  Moses.  This  iilled  up  the  first  sacred 
year,  and  nearly  two  mouths  of  the  second. 

ii.  The  March  from  Sinai  to  the  borders  of  Canaan,  whence  they 
were  turned  back  for  their  unwillingness  to  enter  the  land.  This 
occupied  a  little  more  than  four  months. 

iii.  The   Wandering  in  the   Wilderness  and  entrance  into   Canaan 
This  is  often  spoken  of  in  round  numbers  as  a  period  of  forty  years; 
but,  strictly  speaking,  the  wanderings  occupied  thirty-seven  and  a 
half  years.      In  the  fortieth  year  they  came  again  to  Kadesh,  and 
advanced  as  far  as  the  plains  of  Moab,  on  the  east  of  Jordan. 

The  Israelites  began  their  march  from  Rameses,  in  the  land  of 
Goshen  (Exod.  xii.  37).  Had  the  object  been  to  lead  them  by  the 
nearest  route  out  of  Egypt  into  Canaan,  it  might  have  been  accom- 
plished in  a  few  days'  journey  along  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean 
to  Gaza.  But  as  they  were  unfit  to  face  the  warlike  Philistines, 
who  would  be  likely  to  offer  some  opposition  to  their  progress,  God 
led  the  people  about  through  the  way  of  the  wilderness  of  the  Red 
Sea  (Exod.  xiii.  18).  Their  first  resting-place  was  at  Sitccoth 
(booths'),  the  exact  site  of  which  is  unknown  :  it  was  probably  about 
$,  day's  journey  in  the  direction  of  Suez.      Their  next  was  Etiiam, 


63  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  V. 

on  the  edge  of  the  wilderness  (Exod.  xiii.  20).  This  position  was 
very  probably  about  three  miles  from  the  western  side  of  the  ancient 
head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  Thence  their  natural  route  into  the 
peninsula  of  Sinai  would  have  been  round  the  head  of  the  gulf, 
but,  by  the  express  command  of  God,  they  kept  on  its  west  side,  and 
turned  and  encamped  before  Pi-Hahirotii,  between  Migdol  and  the 
sea.  In  other  words,  instead  of  proceeding  northward,  they  pro- 
ceeded southward,  and  took  up  a  position  inclosed  between  the  sea 
on  the  east,  the  mountains  of  Attakah  on  the  south  and  west,  and 
the  wilderness  they  had  passed  through  in  the  rear.  A  pursuing 
army  soon  pressed  on  to  cut  off  their  retreat.  When  Pharaoh 
heard  that  the  Israelites  had  fled,  he  regretted  that  he  had  let  them 
go.  He  therefore  made  ready  his  chariot  and  took  his  people  with 
him.  He  took  also  six  hundred  war  chariots,  and  captains  over 
every  one  of  them,  together  with  a  large  army,  and  set  out  in  pur- 
suit. The  sight  of  their  old  oppressors  struck  the  Israelites  with 
dismay.  "Hast  thou  taken  us  away  to  die  in  the  wilderness," 
they  cried  to  Moses,  "because  there  were  no  graves  in  Egypt?" 
But  the  way  was  made  clear  by  faith  and  obedience.  "Fear  ye 
not,"  he  replies;  "stand  still,  and  sec  the  salvation  of  the  Lord, 
The  Lord  shall  fight  for  you."  The  guiding  pillar  of  fire,  which 
had  gone  before  the  camp  of  Israel,  then  removed  and  went  behind 
them,  casting  its  beams  forward  along  their  column,  but  dazzling 
the  sight  of  their  pursuers.  When  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand 
over  the  sea,  a  strong  east  wind  blew  all  that  night,  and  divided 
the  waters  as  a  wall  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  while  the 
children  of  Israel  went  into  the  midst  of  the  sea  on  dry  ground 
The  host  of  Pharaoh  followed  after  them  ;  but  at  the  morninR 
watch  the  Lord  looked  out  of  the  pillar  of  fire  and  cloud,  and  troub- 
led  the  Egyptians  ;  their  chariot-wheels  dragged  heavily:  they  be- 
came panic-stricken,  and  sought  to  fly.  But  at  the  command  of 
God,  Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  the  sea  re- 
turned to  his  strength  when  the  morning  appeared,  and  the  Egyj> 
tians  fled  against  it,  but  not  one  of  them  was  left  alive  (Exod.  xiv. 
5-28).  Thus  the  Lord  saved  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyp. 
tians.  "And  the  people  feared  the  Lord,  and  believed  his  servant 
Moses."  The  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  was  the  beginning  of  a  new 
dispensation:  they  were  all  baptised  lo  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in 
th3  sea  (1  Cor.  x.  2).  In  this  light  the  deliverance  is  looked  back 
upon  by  the  sacred  writers  in  every  age.  led  by  the  inspired  song 
sung  by  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel,  with  the  responsive  cho- 
rus formed  by  "Miriam,  the  prophetess,  the  sister  of  Aaron,  and 
all  the  women  who  went  out  after  her  with  timbrels  and  dances," 
echoing  the  refrain  : 


B.C.  1491-90.  WILDERNESS  OF  SIN.  69 

"Sing  ye  to  Jehovah,  for  He  hath  triumphed  gloriously: 
The  horse  aud  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into  the  sea."1 

Their  route  now  lay  southward  down  the  east  side  of  the  Gulf  of 
Suez,  and  at  first  along  the  shore.  They  marched  for  three  days 
through  the  wilderness  of  Shttr,  where  they  found  no  water  (Exod. 
xv.  22).  At  length  they  came  to  a  spring  called  Makaii  (bitter- 
ness), on  account  of  its  bitter  waters.  The  people,  tormented  with 
thirst,  murmured  against  Moses,  who,  at  the  command  of  God,  cast 
a  certain  tree  into  the  waters,  which  made  them  sweet.  Going  for- 
ward, they  reached  the  oasis  of  Elim,  where  there  were  twelve  wells 
and  threescore  and  ten  palm-trees,  and  there  they  encamped.  Strik- 
ing inland,  they  now  lost  sight  of  the  Red  Sea  and  the  shores  of 
Egypt,  and  entered  the  Wili>lrness  of  Sin  (Exod.  xvi.  1),  which 
leads  up  from  the  shore  to  the  entrance  to  the  mountains  of  Sinai. 
Here  occurred  their  second  great  trial  since  leaving  Egypt.  Their 
unleavened  bread  was  exhausted.  "Would  to  God,"  they  cried, 
"  that  we  had  died  in  Egypt,  when  we  sat  by  the  flesh-pots  and  did 
eat  bread  to  the  full,"  instead  of  being  led  out  to  perish  witli  hun- 
ger in  the  wilderness.  But  God  was  teaching  them  to  look  to  Him 
for  their  "daily  bread."  The  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the 
cloud,  and  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  and  promised  that  that  very 
evening  they  should  have  iicsh  to  cat,  and  in  the  morning  they 
should  he  filled  with  bread.  At  the  appointed  time  God  sent  a 
flight  of  quails  which  covered  the  camp;  and  the  next  morning 
there  was  a  fall  of  dew  around  the  camp,  and  when  it  was  dried  up 
there  lay  upon  the  ground  a  small  round  thing,  as  small  as  the  par- 
ticles of  hoar-frost,  white  like  coriander-seed,  and  tasting  like  wafers 
made  of  honey.  When  the  people  saw  it,  they  exclaimed  Man-htj, 
which  signifies,  in  Hebrew,  "What  is  it?"  (Exod.  xvi.  15).  From 
this  question  it  was  called  Manna.  Moses  replied,  "This  is  the 
bread  which  the  Lord  hath  given  you  to  eat."  The  supply  of  this 
food  was  continued  for  forty  years,  till  they  reached  Canaan  (Exod. 
xvi.  35).  God  humbled  them,  and  suffered  them  to  hunger,  and 
fed  them  with  a  food  unknown  to  them,  "  that  he  might  make  them 
know  that  man  doth  not  live  by  bread  only,  but  by  every  word  that 
pi  oceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  doth  man  live  "  (Dent.  viii. 
3).  This  manna  was  a  type  of  Christ,  who  came  down  from  heav- 
esi  as  the  Bread  of  Life  (John  vi.  31-35). 

The  rules  laid  down  for  the  gathering  of  the  manna  led  to  the 
revival  of  the  Sabbath,  the  observance  of  which  had,  no  doubt,  been 
neglected  in  Egypt.  Every  morning  they  gathered  a  certain  quan- 
tity for  use  during  the  day,  bnt  on  the  sixth  day  they  gathered  twice 
as  much,  because  none  would  fall  on  the  seventh,  which  was  a  Sab- 
bath or  day  of  rest  (Exod.  xvi.  1G-2G). 

1  Exodus  xv. 


70  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  V. 

From  i  ho  wilderness  of  Sin  other  valleys  lead  up,  by  a  series  of 
steep  iiscents  into  the  recesses  of  the  mountain  region  of  Sinai. 
Their  next  resting-place  was  at  Rkphidim.  Here  there  was  no  wa- 
ter for  the  people  to  drink,  and  they  burst  forth  into  an  angry  rebel- 
lion against  Moses.  "Why,"  said  they,  "  hast  thou  brought  us  up 
out  of  Egypt  to  kill  ns,  our  children,  and  our  cattle,  with  thirst?" 
In  answer  to  the  cry  of  Moses,  the  Lord  vouchsafed  a  miracle  for  n 
permanent  supply  during  their  abode  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai 
Moses  was  commanded  to  go  on  before  the  people  with  the  elders 
of  Israel,  and  to  smite  the  rock  in  Horeb  with  the  rod  wherewith  he 
smote  the  river.  He  did  so  in  their  presence,  and  water  flowed 
forth  i  ut  of  it.  The  place  was  called  Massah  {temptation),  and 
Mebibah  {chiding  or  strife)  because  they  tempted  the  Lord,  and 
doubted  whether  He  was  among  them  or  not  (Exod.  xvii.  1-7). 
The  spring  thus  opened  seems  to  have  formed  a  brook,  which  the 
Israelites  used  during  their  whole  sojourn  near  Sinai  (Deut.  ix.  21 ; 
comp.  Psa.  lxxviii.  15,  16  ;  cv.  41).  Hence  the  rock  is  said  to  have 
" followed  them"  by  St.  Paul,  who  makes  it  a  type  of  Christ,  the 
source  of  the  spiritual  water  of  life  (1  Cor.  x.  4). 

It  was  in  Rephidim  that  the  new-formed  nation  fought  their  first 
great  battle.  The  peninsula  of  Sinai  and  the  adjoining  deserts 
were  at  that  time  in  the  occupation  of  the  Amalekites — a  tribe  de- 
scended from  Eliphaz,  the  son  of  Esau  (Gen.  xxxvi.  If!).  Whether 
they  regardetl  the  Israelites  as  intruders,  or  whether  they  attacked 
them  for  the  sake  of  plunder,  is  uncertain.  Moses  directed  Joshua, 
whose  name  is  now  first  mentioned,  to  choose  out  a  body  of  men, 
and  fight  against  the  enemy,  while  he  himself  stood  on  the  top  of 
the  hill  with  the  rod  of  God  outstretched  in  his  hand.  According- 
ly, the  next  morning,  attended  by  his  brother  Aaron,  and  by  Hur, 
the  husband  of  Miriam,  Moses  went  up  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  with  tho 
rod  of  God  in  his  hand,  and  while  he  held  up  his  hand  Israel  pre- 
vailed, and  when  he  let  down  his  hand  Amalek  prevailed.  When 
he  grew  weary,  a  stone  was  brought  for  him  to  sit  upon,  and  his 
hands  were  held  up  by  Aaron  and  Hur,  one  on  each  side,  till  sun- 
set, when  Amalek  was  discomfited.  The  attitude  of  Moses  seems 
to  have  been  a  sign  of  God's  presence  with  His  hosts,  like  a  stand- 
ard over  the  battle-field.  This  meaning  is  taught  by  the  name 
given  to  the  altar  of  thanksgiving  then  set  up — Jkhovah-Nissi, 
the  Lord  is  my  banner  (Exod.  xvii.  8-13). 

For  this  act  of  hostility  the  tribe  of  Amalek  was  doomed  to  utter 
destruction.  "I  will  utterly  put  out  the  remembrance  of  Amalek," 
said  the  Lord,  "from  under  heaven."  Moses  was  commanded  by 
God  to  write  the  whole  transaction  in  a  book;  and  here  we  have 
one  of  the  passages  in   which  we  learn  from   the  sacred  writers' 


B.C.  1491-90.        WILDERNESS  OF  SINAI.  71 

themselves  their  authorship  of  the  books  that  bear  their  namea 
(Exod.  xvii.  14). 

During  the  encampment  at  Rcphidim,  Jethro,  the  father-in-law 
of  Moses,  brought  his  wife  Zipporah  and  his  two  sons  to  visit  him. 
Moses  received  him  with  high  honor,  and  recounted  to  him  all  that 
the  Lord  had  done  for  the  deliverance  of  his  people.  "  Now  I 
know,"  said  Jethro,  "that  the  Lord  is  greater  than  all  gods,"  arid 
he  offered  sacrifices  to  God.  On  the  morrow,  seeing  Moses  over- 
burdened with  judging  the  people,  he  advised  him  to  appoint  a  num- 
ber of  able  men,  to  be  rulers  over  thousands,  over  hundreds,  over 
fifties,  and  over  tens,  who  would  share  the  burden  with  him,  and  to 
reserve  himself  for  the  harder  causes,  to  lay  them  before  God  as 
mediator  for  the  people.      And  Moses  did  so  (Exod.  xviii.). 

On  the  first  day  of  the  third  month  after  leaving  Egypt,  the  Is- 
raelites came  to  the  Wilderness  of  Sinai,  and  here  they  encamp- 
ed before  the  mount.  Never  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  such 
a  scene  beheld  as  that  plain  now  presented !  A  whole  nation  was 
assembled  alone  with  God.  His  hand  had  been  seen,  and  His  voice 
heard  at  every  step  of  their  history  for  four  hundred  and  thirty  years 
up  to  this  great  crisis.  He  had  divided  the  very  sea  to  let  them 
pass  into  this  secret  shrine  of  nature,  whose  awful  grandeur  pre- 
pared their  minds  for  the  coming  revelation.  The  events  that  took 
place  during  their  stay  at  Sinai,  till  the  setting  up  of  the  tabernacle, 
will  now  be  related. 

There  was  a  season  of  preparation  before  the  law  was  given. 
First  Moses  went  up  unto  God  ;  and  the  Lord  called  to  him  out  of 
the  mountain,  telling  him  to  remind  the  people  of  what  he  had  al- 
ready done  for  them  against  the  Egyptians,  and  promising  that,  if 
they  would  obey  his  voice  and  keep  his  covenant,  "  then  shall  ye 
be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above  all  people  (for  all  the  earth  is 
mine),  and  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a  holy  na- 
tion." They  were  to  be  kings  and  priests  for  others'  good,  a  holy 
nation  for  a  pattern  to  all  the  rest.  Moses  acquainted  the  elders 
of  the  people  with  all  the  words  that  the  Lord  had  commanded 
hini,  and  they  answered.  "All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will 
do."  Moses  was  next  warned  that  the  Lord  was  coming  to  him  in 
(v  thick  cloud,  and  would  speak  to  him  before  all  the  people,  that 
ihey  might  believe  him  forever.  He  was  commanded  to  purify  the 
people  against  the  third  day,  and  to  set  a  boundary  round  the  mount, 
that  neither  man  nor  beast  might  touch  it  under  penalty  of  death. 
On  the  third  day,  in  the  morning,  the  mountain  was  enveloped  in 
a  thick  cloud,  and  surrounded  with  such  terrors  that  Moses  and  all 
the  people  in  the  camp  feared  and  trembled.  From  amidst  the 
darkness,  and  above  the  trumpet's  sound,  God's  voice  was   heard 


72  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chak  V. 

calling  Moses  up  into  the  mount,  bidding  him  charge  the  people  lest 
they  should  break  the  bounds  to  gaze  on  God,  and  prepare  the  eld- 
ers to  come  up  with  him  and  Aaron,  when  God  should  call  them 
(Exod.  xix.  5-24). 

Then  followed  the  greatest  event  of  the  Old  Covenant.  From 
the  midst  of  the  fire  and  of  the  smoke,  t he  voice  of  God  himself 
was  heard  giving  forth  Ten  Commandments,  by  which  his  people 
were  to  live.  These  were  the  only  parts  of  the  law  given  by  the 
roice  of  God  to  the  assembled  people  :  they  alone  were  afterwards 
written  on  the  two  tallies  of  stone  (Deut.  v.  22).  As  soon  as  God 
had  done  speaking,  the  people,  overcome  with  terror,  prayed  Moses 
that  he  would  speak  to  them  in  the  place  of  God,  lest  they  should 
die.  They  then  removed  afar  off,  while  Moses  drew  near  to  the 
thick  darkness  where  God  was.  In  the  course  of  the  six  following 
days,  he  received  a  series  of  precepts  which  form  a  practical  inter- 
pretation of  the  Ten  Commandments  (Exod.  xx. -xxiii.).  These 
words  of  the  Lord  Moses  wrote  in  a  book,  which  he  named  the 
Book  of  the  Covenant,  and  he  read  it  in  the  audience  of  the  people. 
Having  built  an  altar  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai,  and  offered  sac- 
rifices, and  the  people  having  promised  to  obey  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  Moses  took  the  blood  and  sprinkled  it  on  them,  and  said, 
"Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant  which  the  Lord  hath  made 
with  you"  (Exod.  xxiv.  7,  8). 

These  precepts  were  followed  by  promises  relating  to  the  people's 
future  course.  The  land  of  Canaan  was  clearly  marked  out  as  their 
destination  (Exod.  xxiii.  23),  and  its  gradual  conquest  assured  to 
them.  A  special  warning  was  given  them  against  idolatry.  Above 
all,  the  Axgel  Jehovah,  who  had  already  led  them  out  of  Egypt, 
was  still  to  be  their  guide,  to  keep  them  in  the  way,  and  to  bring 
them  to  the  place  appointed  for  them.  But,  if  provoked  and  dis- 
obeyed, He  would  be  a  terror  to  them,  for  "my  name  is  in  Him'" 
(Exod.  xxiii.  21 ).  In  this  angel,  God  himself  -was  present  as  the 
Sheplterd  of  His  flock;  and  in  tempting  and  provoking  him  in  the 
wilderness,  they  vexed  God's  Holy  Spirit. 

The  clouds  of  Sinai  did  not  exhibit,  but  concealed,  the  true  glory 
of  Jehovah  ;  and  He  now  vouchsafed  a  vision  of  that  glory  to  Moses, 
with  Aaron  and  his  si>ns  Nadab  and  Abihu,  and  seventy  of  the  eld- 
ers of  Israel.  The  chosen  party  went  up  and  saw  God,  enthroned 
in  His  glory,  and  yet  they  lived.  Moses  was  then  called  up  alone 
into  the  mount  to  receive  the  tables  of  stone  and  the  law  which 
God  had  written,  while  Aaron  and  Hur  were  left  to  govern  the 
people.  He  then  went  up  alone  into  the  mount,  which  a  clond 
covered  for  six  days,  crowned  with  the  glory  of  God  as  a  burning 
fire.      On  the   seventh  day  Moses  was   called  into  the  cloud,  and 


B.C.  1491-90.  GIVING  OF  THE  LAW.  73 

there  he  abode  without  food  forty  days  and  forty  nights  (Exod. 
xxiv.  1-18). 

During  this  period,  lie  received  instructions  from  God  us  to  the 
pattern  of  the  tabernacle,  the  form  of  the  ark,  the  various  kinds  of 
sacrifices,  and  other  ordinances  of  divine  worship.  When  He  had 
made  an  end  of  communing  with  him,  God  gave  unto  Moses  "two 
tables  of  testimony,  tables  of  stone,  written  with  the  finger  of  God" 
(Exod.  xxxi.  18).  As  the  weeks  passed  by  without  his  return  from 
the  mount,  the  Israelites  began  to  think  that  they  had  lost  their 
leader,  and  they  said  to  Aaron,  "  Up,  make  us  gods  which  shall  go 
before  us."  Aaron  weakly  yielded  to  their  demand,  and  asked  the 
people  for  their  golden  ear-rings,  from  which  he  made  a  "molten 
calf,"  the  symbol  of  the  Egyptian  deity  Apis.  This  he  set  before 
the  people  as  the  image  of  the  God  who  had  brought  them  out  of 
Egypt,  and  he  built  an  altar  before  the  idol,  and  on  the  morrow 
the  people  offered  sacrifices  to  it,  and  kept  a  feast,  with  songs  and 
dances.  This  was  on  the  last  of  the  forty  days;  God  then  sent 
Moses  down  from  the  mount,  telling  him  of  the  people's  sin,  and 
threatening  to  destroy  them,  and  promising  to  make  of  him  a  new 
nation.  Moses,  however,  pleaded  for  them  by  the  honor  of  God 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Egyptians,  and  by  his  covenant  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Israel.  "And  the  Lord  repented  of  the  evil  which  he 
thought  to  do  unto  his  people"  (Exod.  xxxii.  1-14). 

Moses,  attended  by  his  servant  Joshua,  now  turned  and  went 
down  from  the  mount,  carrying  in  his  hands  the  two  tables  of  the 
testimony.  He  soon  heard  the  shouts  of  revelry,  which  were  mis- 
taken by  Joshua  for  the  noise  of  battle.  As  he  drew  nigh  to  lho 
camp,  he  saw  them  dancing  before  the  golden  calf,  and  in  righteous 
indignation  he  cast  the  tables  out  of  his  hands,  and  broke  them  in 
pieces  at  the  foot  of  the  mount.  He  next  destroyed  the  calf  by  fire 
and  pounding,  and  strewed  its  dust  upon  the  stream  from  which 
the  people  drank.  After  sharply  upbraiding  Aaron,  who  laid  the 
blame  on  the  people,  for  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  matter,  Moses 
then  made  a  terrible  example.  Standing  in  the  gate  of  the  camp, 
he  cried,  "Whoever  is  on  the  Lord's  side  come  unto  me ;  '  and  all 
his  brethren  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  rallied  round  him.  He  command- 
ed them  to  go,  sword  in  hand,  throughout  the  camp,  and  to  slay  all 
whom  they  still  found  at  the  idolatrous  feast,  without  regard  to 
kindred  or  acquaintance.  And  about  three  thousand  of  the  peo- 
ple, still  in  the  midst  of  their  mirth,  were  put  to  death.  This  was 
the  act  which  consecrated  the  tribe  of  Levi  to  the  service  and 
priesthood  of  Jehovah  (Exod.  xxxii.  15-28). 

On  the  morrow,  Moses  reproved  the  people  for  their  sin,  but  prom- 
we<)  to  intercede  for  them  with  the  Lord.      God  replied  that  the  sin- 


74  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  V. 

ner  himself  should  be  blotted  out  of  His  book,  and  He  sent  plagues 
upon  the  people  on  account  of  their  idolatry.  He  promised,  how- 
ever, to  send  His  angel  before  them,  to  be  their  leader.  At  this 
the  people  murmured,  thinking  that  they  were  to  lose  God's  own 
presence.  Moses  then  took  the  sacred  tent,  called  the  Tabernacle 
bf  the  congregation,  and  pitched  it  outside  of  the  camp  which  had 
been  profaned,  and  all  who  sought  the  Lord  went  out  to  it.  When 
Moses  went  out  to  the  tabernacle,  every  man  stood  at  his  tent-dooi 
hatching  him  ;  and  when  he  entered  it,  the  pillar  of  cloud  descend- 
ed  and  stood  at  the  door,  and  "the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  face  to 
face,  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his  friend."  As  a  special  encourage- 
ment to  Moses  himself,  God  said,  "  My  presence  shall  go  with  thee, 
and  I  will  give  thee  rest."  Moses  then  prayed  that  God  would  show 
him  His  glory.  "Thou  canst  not  see  my  face  and  live,"  said  the 
Lord.  But  God  promised  to  place  him  in  a  cleft  of  the  rock,  and 
to  hide  him  while  His  glory  passed  by,  so  that  he  could  see  the  train 
behind  Him,  but  not  His  face  (Exod.  xxxii.  30-xxxiii.  23). 

By  the  command  of  God,  Moses  went  up  again  into  the  mount 
alone,  carrying  with  him  two  tables  of  stone,  to  replace  those  which 
he  had  broken.  Then  the  Lord  descended  in  a  cloud,  and  pro- 
claimed His  name  as  the  ;'Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long 
suffering  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth."  Moses  interceded 
once  more  for  his  people,  and  God  renewed  His  covenant,  promising 
to  work  wonders  for  them,  such  as  had  not  been  done  in  all  the 
earth,  and  to  bring  them  into  the  Promised  Land,  and  adding  a  new 
warning  against  their  falling  into  the  idolatry  of  Canaan.  This 
time,  also,  Moses  remained  in  the  mount  alone  with  the  Lord  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  fasting;  there  he  received  anew  the  precepts 
of  the  law,  as  well  as  the  two  tables  he  had  taken  up,  with  the  Ten 
Commamlments  written  thereupon  by  God  himself.  When  Moses 
came  down  from  the  mount,  the  light  of  God's  glory  shone  so  brightly 
from  his  face,  that  the  people  were  afraid  to  come  nigh  him,  and  he 
covered  it  with  a  veil  while  he  recited  to  them  the  commandments 
that  God  had  given  him  (Exod.  xxxiv.  1-35). 

Moses  now  gathered  together  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and,  after  repeating  the  law  of  the  Sabbath,  he  asked  their 
free  gifts  for  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture.  And  every  one  whose 
heart  was  willing  brought  offerings  to  the  Lord,  jewels,  and  gold 
and  silver,  and  brass,  skins  and  woven  fabrics  of  blue,  of  purple, 
of  scarlet  and  of  fine  linen,  spices,  oils,  and  incense.  Two  men 
were  called,  and  gifted  by  God's  Spirit  with  skill  for  the  work — • 
Bezaleel,  the  son  of  Uri,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  Aholiab.  the 
son  of  Ahisamach,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan ;  and  they  wrought  with 
''every  tvise-hearted  man  in  whom  the  Lord  put  wisdom  and  un- 


B.C.  U'Jl  -'JO.     THE  TABERNACLE  SET  UP.  75 

derstanding  to  work  for  the  service  of  the  sanctuary."  The  people 
soon  brought  more  than  enough  for  the  work,  and  they  made  the 
tabernacle,  with  its  furniture  and  vessels,  the  cloths  of  service,  and 
the  garments  of  the  priests,  after  the  pattern  shown  to  Moses  in  the 
mount,  and  Moses  blessed  them  (Exod.  xxxv.-xxxix.). 

All  things  being  thus  prepared,  Moses  was  commanded,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  first  month  of  the  second  year,  to  set  up  the  taber- 
nacle, and  to  place  therein  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  all  the 
sacred  vessels  and  furniture,  and  to  anoint  Aaron  and  his  sons  to' 
the  priesthood.  When  he  had  finished  the  work,  God  vouchsafed 
a  visible  token  of  His  presence  and  approval.  The  glory  of  the 
Lord  filled  the  tabernacle,  so  that  Moses  was  unable  to  enter  it. 
A  whole  month  was  afterwards  spent  in  arranging  the  service  of 
the  sanctuary,  as  it  is  set  forth  fully  in  the  Book  of  Leviticus,  be° 
fore  the  people  prepared  to  resume  their  journey  (Exod.  xl.). 


Mount  Hor. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  WANDERING   IN  THE  WILDERNESS. — B.  C.  1490-1452. 

Ox  the  first  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  second  year  (Jyar  = 
May,  B.C.  1490)  from  the  epoch  of  the  Exodus,  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses  to  number  the  people  able  to  bear  arms,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward.  The  Levites,  being  exempted  from  military 
service,  were  numbered  separately.  At  this  census,  the  total  of  the 
military  array  was  found  to  be  in  round  numbers  about  600,000. 
The  whole  host  was  divided  into  four  camps,  which  surrounded  the 
tabernacle  during  a  halt,  and  went  before  and  after  it  on  the  march. 
The  Levites  were  taken  for  the  service  of  Jehovah  in  place  of  the 
first-born  ;  it  was  their  duty  to  minister  to  the  high-priest,  and  to 
attend  to  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

At  length  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  to  them,  saying  that  they 
had  dwelt  long  enough  in  Horeb,  and  commanding  them  to  turn 
and  journey  onward  (Deut.  i.  6,  7).  The  aim  of  their  journey  was 
to  take  possession  of  the  land  which  God  had  promised  to  their 
fathers.  The  cloud  of  Jehovah's  presence,  which  had  been  resting 
over  the  tabernacle,  was  then  lifted  up  as  the  sign  of  departure. 


B.C.  1490-1452.    ROUTE  OF  THE  WANDERING.  77 

and  the  tabernacle  itself  was  taken  down.  At  the  al.nm  blown 
by  the  two  silver  trumpets  (Numb.  x.  1-10)  each  of  the  four  camps 
set  forward  in  its  appointed  order,  and  the  host  followed  the  cloud 
into  the  wilderness  ofParan.  During  their  march,  the  cloud,  dark 
by  day  and  luminous  by  night,  indicated  every  halting-place  ;  when 
it  was  taken  up  from  the  tabernacle,  then  they  journeyed  ;  in  the 
place  where  it  abode,  there  they  pitched  their  tents.  When  the 
ark  set  forward,  Moses  said,  "Rise  up,  Lord,  and  let  thine  enemies 
be  scattered,  and  let  them  that  hate  thee  flee  before  thee."  And 
when  it  rested,  he  said,  "  Return,  OLord,  unto  the  many  thousands 
of  Israel "  (Numb.  x.  35,  36). 

In  following  the  route  of  the  Israelites,  we  must  remember  that 
its  general  direction  is  northward  from  Sinai  "  to  the  mount  of  the 
Ainorites,"  the  highlands  of  southern  Palestine.  The  two  extreme 
points  are  the  camp  before  Sinai  on  the  south,  and  Kadksh  on  the 
north.  The  distance  between  these  points  was  eleven  days'  jour- 
ney, or  about  1G5  miles.  Their  present  journey  must  be  carefully 
distinguished  from  their  final  march  into  Palestine,  at  the  end  of 
the  thirty-eight  years'  wandering  in  the  wilderness. 

More  than  once  during  their  march,  the  people  murmured 
against  Jehovah.  The  mixed  multitude  that  came  with  them  out 
of  Egypt  were  among  the  first  to  complain  ;  with  the  children  of 
Israel,  they  remembered  the  abundance  of  Egypt,  and,  growing 
tired  of  the  manna,  they  said,  "  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat?" 
(Numb.  xi.  4).  Upon  this  rebellion,  Moses  complained  to  the 
Lord  that  the  burden  of  the  people  was  too  great  for  him  to  bear 
alone.  He  was  directed  to  choose  seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel, 
and  to  bring  them  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle.  And  the  Lord 
came  down  in  a  cloud,  and  took  of  the  Spirit  that  was  on  Moses, 
and  gave  it  unto  them,  and  they  prophesied.  Two  of  them,  who 
had  not  come  out  to  the  tabernacle,  Eldad  and  Medad,  prophesied 
in  the  cam]).  Joshua  asked  Moses  to  forbid  them  ;  but  he  replied, 
"Would  God  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets."  The 
people  were  then  punished  for  their  murmurings.  God  sent  quails 
among  them  ;  but  in  the  very  act  of  eating  them  the  Lord  smote 
the  people  with  a  very  great  plague,  and  a  great  number  perished 
This  place  was  called  Kusroth-Hattaavah,  that  is,  "the  graves 
of  lust  "(Numb.  xi.  25-34). 

Their  next  halting-place  was  at  Hazekoth.  Here  a  rebellion 
arose  against  Moses  in  iiis  own  family.  Aaron  and  Miriam  spake 
against  him  because  of  the  Cushite  woman  whom  he  had  married — 
probably  his  Midianite  wife  Zipporah — and  disputed  his  authority. 
"Hath  the  Lord  spoken  only  by  Moses,  they  said  ;  hath  He  not 
spoken  also  bv  us?"'     The  Lord  heard  it,  and  called  forth  nil  tin 


78  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI 

to  the  tabernacle.  There  he' told  Aaron  and  Miriam  that  with 
other  prophets  He  would  converse  in  visions  and  in  dreams,  but 
with  His  servant  Moses  openly,  mouth  to  mouth.  The  Lord  show- 
ed His  anger  against  them  by  smiting  Miriam  with  leprosy : 
though  she  was  healed  at  the  prayer  of  Moses,  yet  was  she  shut  out 
of  the  camp  seven  days  as  a  punishment.  After  this  the  people 
removed  from  Hazeroth  and  pitched  in  the  wilderness  of  Parar. 
(Numb.  xii.  1-1 G). 

We  find  them  next  at  Kadesh,  or  Kadesii-Barnea.  Here 
Moses,  by  the  command  of  the  Lord,  sent  forth  twelve  spies,  the 
heads  of  their  respective  tribes,  to  explore  the  land.  Of  these  only 
two  are  memorable  names — Caleb,  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  and  Oshea,  the  son  of  Nun,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 
whom  Moses  had  called  Joshua,  i.  e.,  Suviour  (Numb.  xiii.  1G). 
They  searched  the  land  for  forty  days,  and  then  returned  to  Kadesh, 
bringing  back  to  Moses  a  glowing  description  of  the  fertility  of  the 
country.  It  is  a  good  land,  they  said,  that  the  Lord  our  God  doth 
give  us:  "surely  it  floweth  with  milk  and  honey."  In  proof  of 
its  fertility,  they  brought  back  from  the  rich  vine-clad  valley  of 
Eshcol  a  cluster  of  grapes  so  large  that  it  was  borne  by  two  men 
upon  a  staff,  together  witli  pomegranates  and  figs.  All,  however, 
with  the  exception  of  Caleb  and  Joshua,  exaggerated  the  strength 
and  the  size  of  the  people  of  the  land,  and  said  that  they  were  too 
powerful  to  be  conquered  by  the  Israelites.  Whereupon  the  peo- 
ple spent  the  night  in  weeping.  They  murmured  against  Moses 
and  Aaron,  and  said,  "  Would  God  that  we  had  died  in  the  land 
of  Egypt  or  in  the  wilderness.  Wherefore  hath  the  Lord  brought 
us  into  this  land  to  fall  by  the  sword  ?  Let  us  make  a  captain, 
and  let  us  return  into  Egypt."  Then  Moses  and  Aaron  fell  on 
their  faces  before  all  the  assembly,  while  Caleb  and  Joshua  rent 
their  clothes,  and  contradicted  the  reports  of  the  other  spies. 
"The  land  which  we  passed  through,"  they  said,  "is  an  exceeding 
good  land.  If  the  Lord  delight  in  us,  then  He  will  give  it  us." 
But  the  people  would  not  listen  to  them,  and  ordered  them  to  be 
stoned.  Then  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appealed  in  the  tabernacle, 
and  a  second  time  He  threatened  to  destroy  the  people,  and  tc 
give  to  Moses  a  greater  and  mightier  nation.  "  How  long  will 
this  people  provoke  me?  How  long  will  it  be  ere  they  believe 
me?"  said  the  Lord.  .  .  .  "Pardon,  I  beseech  thee,"  cried 
Moses,  once  more,  as  before  Sinai,  "  the  iniquity  of  this  people  ac- 
cording unto  the  greatness  of  Thy  mercy."  His  prayer  was  heard. 
The  Lord  promised  to  pardon  the  nation,  but  at  the  same  time  He 
Bwore  by  Himself,  "As  truly  as  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  all  the 
iarth  shall  be  filled  with  My  glory,  by  seeing  the  example  that  1 


B.C.  H90-1452.      IN  THE  WILDERNESS.  70 

will  make  of  those  men  who  have  rebelled  against  me,  not  one  of 
whom,  save  Caleb,  shall  see  the  Promised  Land."  The  execution 
of  the  sentence  was  to  begin  at  once.  They  were  to  turn  back 
into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  there  they  were  to 
wander  for  forty  years,  till  all  the  men  of  twenty  years  old  and 
upward  had  left  their  carcasses  in  the  wilderness.  Then  at  length 
their  children,  having  shared  their  wanderings,  should  enter  on  the 
inheritance  which  their  fathers  had  despised.  As  an  earnest  of 
the  judgment,  the  ten  faithless  spies  were  slain  by  a  plague.  "When 
it  was  too  late,  the  people  changed  their  minds.  In  the  morning 
they  marched  up  the  mountain-pass,  against  the  commandment  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  spite  of  the  warning  of  Moses  ;  and  the  Amalek- 
ites  and  Canaanites,  coming  down  upon  them,  defeated  them  with 
great  slaughter,  and  chased  them  as  far  as  Hormah,  and  even  to 
Mount  Seir  (Numb.  xiv.).  The  entrance  to  the  Promised  Land  on 
this  side  was  now  hopelessly  barred. 

The  thirty-eight  years  occupied  in  the  execution  of  God's  judg- 
ment on  the  generation  that  grieved  Him  in  the  wilderness,  and 
to  whom  He  swore  in  his  wrath,  They  shall  not  enter  into  my  rest, 
form  almost  a  blank  in  the  sacred  history.  The  mystery  which 
hangs  over  this  period  seems  like  an  awful  silence  into  which  the 
rebels  sink  away.  Most  probably  their  head-quarters  during  this 
period  were  at  Kadesh,  and  they  continued  to  lead  a  wandering 
life,  chiefly  among  the  pastures  of  the  Arabah,  or  the  "  Wilderness 
of  Zin" — the  broad  desert  valley  which  runs  from  the  Dead  Sea  to 
the  eastern  head  of  the  Red  Sea,  between  Mount  Seir  on  the  east 
and  the  Mount  of  the  Amorites  on  the  west.  There  are  five  chap- 
ters in  the  Book  of  Numbers  which  refer  to  this  interval,  and  in 
which  the  following  events  are  recorded  : 

(i.)  The  death,  by  stoning,  of  a  man  who  was  found  gathering 
sticks  on  the  Sabbath-day.  His  offense  was  doing  servile  work. 
"And  the  Lord  said  to  Moses,  The  man  shall  surely  be  put  to  death, 
And  all  the  congregation  stoned  him  with  stones  "  (Numb.  xv. 
32-36). 

(ii.)  The  rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram  was  the  next 
trouble.  These  three  rose  up  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron, 
and  disputed  their  supremacy.  "All  the  congregation  arc  holy," 
they  said,  "  every  one  of  them,  and  the  Lord  is  among  them: 
wherefore  then  lift  ye  up  yourselves  above  the  congregation  of  the 
Lord?"  Korah,  a  Levite,  with  250  princes  famous  in  the  congre- 
gation, claimed  equality  with  the  priests,  and  he  was  joined  by  Da- 
than and  Abiram  and  others  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben.  At  God's 
command  they  presented  themselves,  with  MjSCS  and  Aaron,  at  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle,  each  with  his  censer      'Chen  the  Lord  spake 


80  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI. 

unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  commanding  them  to  separate  themselves 
from  the  congregation  that  he  might  destroy  them.  For  the  third 
time  the  intercessor  obtained  the  people's  pardon  ;  hut  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth  and  swallowed  up  the  three  rebels,  with  their 
families  and  all  that  belonged  to  them,  while  fire  burst  out  from  tho 
tabernacle,  and  consumed  the  2o0  men  that  offered  incense  (Numb. 
xvi.  1-35).  The  Apostle  Jude  uses  those  who  "perished  in  the 
gainsaying  of  Korah "  as  a  type  of  the  "filthy  dreamers"  who,  in 
the  last  days,  shall  "despise  dominion  and  speak  evil  of  dignities" 
[Jude  11). 

(iii.)  The  people  now  murmured  at  the  fate  of  the  men  whose 
rebellion  they  had  favored  ;  but  at  the  very  moment  when  they 
gathered  against  Moses  and  Aaron  before  the  tabernacle,  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  appeared,  and  sent  a  pestilence  among  them.  Then 
followed  one  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  the  intercession  of 
Moses  and  the  mediation  of  the  high-priest.  Seeing  that  "  wrath 
was  gone  out  from  the  Lord,"  Moses  bade  Aaron  fill  his  censer 
with  coals  from  the  altar,  and  with  incense  as  an  atonement  for  the 
people,  and  stand  between  the  living  and  the  dead,  and  thus  the 
plague  was  stayed  (Numb.  xvi.  41-48). 

(iv.)  After  these  things  a  new  sign  was  given  of  the  Lord's  spe- 
cial favor  to  the  house  of  Aaron.  Twelve  rods  were  chosen  for 
the  several  tribes  and  laid  up  in  the  tabernacle  before  the  ark,  the 
name  of  Aaron  being  inscribed  on  the  rod  of  Levi.  On  the  mor- 
row Aaron's  rod  was  found  covered  with  bud°,  and  blossoms  and 
full  grown  almonds.  The  rest  were  still  dry  sticks.  By  the  com- 
mand of  God  it  was  laid  up  in  the  ark,  and  kept  for  a  perpetual 
memurial  against  like  rebellions  (Numb.  xvii.  7-10). 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fortieth  year  of  the  wanderings,  we  find 
the  Israelites  again  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  at  Kadesh,  and  draw- 
ing near  to  Canaan.  The  doom  under  which  most  of  the  old  gen- 
eration had  by  this  time  perished  now  reached  the  house  of  Am- 
ram.  Miriam,  the  eldest  sister  of  Moses  and  Aaron,  died  and  was 
buried  here  (Numb.  xx.  1).  Here,  too,  Moses  and  Aaron  commit- 
ted the  sin  which  brought  them  also  under  the  sentence  of  death  be- 
fore entering  the  Promised  Land.  The  people  murmured  for  wa- 
ter;  God  commanded  Moses  and  Aaron  to  stand  before  the  rock  in 
the  sight  of  the  people,  and  Moses,  holding  the  rod  in  his  hand,  wa3 
only  to  speak  to  the  rock.  But  this  time  the  trial  was  too  great  for 
his  faith  and  patience.  Upbraiding  the  people  as  rebels,  he  asked, 
"  Must  ire  fetch  you  water  out  of  this  rock?"  and,  from  a  feeling 
of  distrust,  he  smote  the  rock  twice  with  his  rod.  An  abundant 
stream  gushed  out,  which  was  called  the  water  of  Meribah  (strife). 
But  at  the  same  time  the  Lord  said  to  Moses  and  Aaron,  "Because 


8  C.  1490-1452.  DEATH  OF  AARON.  81 

ye  believed  me  not,  to  sanctify  me  in  the  eyes  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  therefore  ye  shall  not  bring  this  congregation  into  the  land 
which  I  have  given  them"  (Numb.  xx.  7-12). 

Tins  prediction  was  soon  afterwards  accomplished  with  respect 
to  Aaron.  "  Take  Aaron  and  Eleazar  his  son,"  said  the  Lord, 
"and  bring  them  up  unto  Mount  Hor.  And  strip  Aaron  of  his 
garments,  and  put  them  upon  Eleazar  his  son.  And  Aaron  shall 
die  there."  Moses  obeyed ;  and  Aaron  died  in  the  top  of  the  mount 
(Numb.  xx.  25-29).  This  event  involved  the  demise  of  the  first 
high-priest  and  the  investiture  of  his  successor.  Aaron  was  buried 
either  on  the  mountain  or  at  its  foot,  and  the  people  mourned  for 
him  thirty  days.  Afterwards  they  set  out  on  their  final  march. 
Leaving  Mount  Hor,  they  proceeded  down  the  valley  called  Ara- 
bah.  It  was  probably  during  their  encampment  at  this  place  that, 
they  were  attacked  by  a  tribe  of  the  Amalekites  under  King  Arad, 
who  carried  off  some  of  the  Israelites  as  captives.  As  the  people 
pursued  their  way  down  this  sandy  and  arid  region  they  grew  much 
discouraged.  God  punished  their  murmurs  by  sending  among 
them  serpents  whose  fiery  bite  was  fatal.  On  their  repentance, 
"the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Make  thee  a  serpent  of  brass,  and  set 
it  up  upon  a  pole;"  and  whoever  was  bitten  by  a  serpent  had  but  to 
look  up  at  it  and  live.  A  very  deep  interest  belongs  to  this  inci- 
dent of  the  pilgrimage  of  Israel,  which  is  thus  explained  by  Christ 
himself,  "As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so 
must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life"  (John  iii.  14,  15). 

The  people  now  went  on  patiently  the  remainder  of  their  way 
Turning  out  of  the  valley  of  the  Arabah  and  going  eastward,  they 
entered  the  wilderness  of  Moab,  and  skirted  the  eastern  side  of 
Mount  Seir.  Many,  however,  of  their  stations  during  their  pil- 
grimage can  not  now  be  identified  (Numb.  xxi.  10-19).  At  length, 
when  they  reached  the  valley  and  brook  of  Zered,  the  desert  wan 
derings  of  the  Israelites  may  be  considered  to  have  come  to  an  end 
Between  this  stream  on  the  south  and  the  River  Anion  on  the 
north  lay  the  territory  of  Moab.  The  region  between  the  Arnon 
and  the  Jabbok  formed  the  kingdom  of  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amo- 
rites,  whose  capital  was  Heshbon.  North  of  the  Jabbok,  extend- 
ing to  Mount  Hermon,  lay  the  great  upland  territory  of  Bashan, 
the  kingdom  of  the  giant  Og,  who  is  also  called  an  Amorite.  These 
regions  east  of  the  Jordan  formed  no  part  of  the  land  marked  out 
for  the  first  settlement  of  the  Israelites,  but  events  drew  them  on 
to  their  conquest. 

The  Moabites  offering  no  opposition  to  the  passage  of  the  Israel- 
ites through  their  territory,  the  people  passed  over  the  upper  courses 

F 


82  SCRIPTUKE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI 

of  the  Zered  and  the  Arnon,  and  reached  "the  mountains  of  Aba- 
rim,  before  Nebo,"  on  the  top  of  Pisgali,  facing  the  Jeshi.mon,  ot 
wilderness,  and  there  they  encamped.  From  this  place  they  sent 
messengers  to  Sihon,  asking  for  a  passage  through  his  country  to 
the  fords  of  Jordan,  opposite  to  Jericho,  where  they  purposed  to 
enter  the  Promised  Land.  The  Amorite  king  not  only  refused  the 
request,  but  marched  out  with  all  his  forces  against  Israel  into  the 
wilderness.  A  decisive  battle  at  Jahaz  gave  the  Israelites  posses- 
sion of  his  whole  territory.  Sihon  himself  was  slain,  and  Israel 
dwelt  in  the  cities  of  the  Amorites,  from  Aroer,  on  the  Arnon,  to 
the  Jabbok  (Numb.  xxi.  23-SOj.  Crossing  the  Jabbok,  they  enter- 
ed into  the  district  of  Bashan,  and  here  they  encountered  the  giant 
king  Og.  He  was  defeated  at  Edrei,  and  slain  with  his  sons  and 
his  people,  and  they  took  possession  of  his  land.  These  first  great 
victories  of  the  new  generation  of  Israel  gave  them  the  whole  re- 
gion lying  between  the  Jordan  and  the  desert,  from  the  Arnon  on 
the  south  to  Mount  Hermon  on  the  north,  the  region  soon  after- 
wards allotted  to  the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh. 

The  Israelites  now  made  their  last  encampment  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Jordan,  in  "the  desert  plains"  of  Moab.  Their  tents  were 
pitched  about  six  miles  from  the  river,  among  the  long  groves  of 
acacias  which,  "  on  the  eastern  as  well  as  on  the  western  side,  mark 
with  a  line  of  verdure  the  upper  terraces  of  the  valley,"  from  Abel 
Siuttim  {the  meadow  of  acacias)  on  the  north  to  Beth  Jeshimotii 
{the  house  of  the  icastes)  on  the  south.'  They  were  able  to  see  on 
the  western  bank  the  green  meadows  of  Jericho,  their  first-intended 
conquest.  High  above,  and  close  behind  them,  rose  the  hills  of 
Abarim,  which  were  soon  occupied  by  a  Avatchful  and  wily  enemy. 

The  conquest  of  the  Amorites  had  roused  the  Moabites  from 
their  doubtful  neutrality.  Their  king,  Balak,  the  son  of  Zippor, 
apprehensive  that  his  territory  would  in  turn  be  invaded  by  the 
Israelites,  resolved  to  attack  them.  Aware,  however,  that  he  could 
not  hope  to  overcome  his  foe  with  his  own  resources  alone,  ha 
sought  to  strengthenhimself  by  making  a  confederacy  with  such  of 
the  wandering  tribes  of  Midian  as  were  then  pasturing  their  flocks 
h'ithia  his  territories.  The  united  forces  encamped  on  the  heights 
of  Abavim,  while  Balak  sought  further  help  from  another  quarter. 
From  the  sheikhs  of  Midian  he  had  no  doubt  heard  of  a  famous 
prophet  or  diviner  named  Balaam,  who  dwelt  at  Pethor,  beyond 
the  Euphrates.  This  man  was  one  of  those  who  still  retained  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God  ;  but  he  seems  to  have  practised  the  arts 
of  divination,  and  to  have  used  his  Supernatural  knowledge  for 
gain.     His  fame  was  spread  far  and  wide  among  the  tribes  of  the 


B.C.  1490-1452.      BALAAM  AND  BALAK.  83 

desert.  "I  wot  that  he  whom  thou  blessest  is  blessed,  and  he 
whom  thou  cursest  is  cursed,"  is  the  belief  on  which  Bulak  ground- 
ed his  invitation  to  Balaam  to  come  and  curse  Israel,  after  which 
he  hoped  he  might  be  able  to  prevail  against  them  and  drive  them 
out  of  the  land.  The  message  was  carried  by  the  ciders  of  Moab 
and  of  Midian,  with  rewards  for  his  divinations  in  their  hand,  say- 
ing, "  Come,  curse  me  this  people,  for  they  are  too  mighty  for  me.' 
The  temptation  was  too  great  for  the  prophet's  integrity.  He  must 
have  known  that  Israel  were  the  people  of  his  God,  and  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  messengers  of  Balak.  But,  instead  of  dis-' 
missing  them  at  once,  he  invited  them  to  remain  for  the  night, 
while  he  consulted  God.  lie  received  the  plain  answer:  "Thou 
shalt  not  go  with  them;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  people,  for  they 
are  blessed  ;"  and  in  the  morning  be  sent  them  back  to  their  own 
land.  Again,  however,  across  the  Assyrian  desert,  Balak  sent 
more  numerous  and  more  honorable  messengers,  with  a  more  press- 
ing message.  "Let  nothing,  I  pray  thee,  hinder  thee,"  he  said, 
"from  coming  to  me, for  I  will  promote  thee  unto  very  great  hon- 
or." To  this  Balaam  replied — not  that  he  could  not  entertain  Ba- 
lak's  proposal  for  a  moment,  but — that  be  could  not  go  beyond  the 
word  of  the  Lord  his  God  to  do  less  or  more.  To  Him,  therefore, 
he  again  referred  the  case.  This  time  God  visited  him  with  the 
severest  punishment  which  He  reserves  for  willful  sinners :  He 
"gave  him  his  own  desire."  Balaam  was  commanded  to  go  with 
the  men,  but  to  utter  only  the  words  which  God  should  put  in  his 
mouth. 

One  last  warning  he  received,  in  a  prodigy  that  befell  him  on  the 
road.  As  he  was  on  his  journey  with  the  princes  of  Moab,  the  ass 
that  bore  him  swerved  twice  from  the  way,  and  twice  saved  him 
from  the  uplifted  sword  of  the  Angel  of  the  Lord,  who  had  come 
out  to  withstand  him.  A  third  time,  seeing  the  Angel  of  the  Lord 
in  a  narrow  pass  in  the  vineyards,  where  she  could  not  escape,  she 
fell  down  beneath  her  master,  and  on  his  smiting  her  again,  "  the 
dumb  ass  speaking  with  man's  voice  forbade  the  madness  of  the 
prophet"  (2  Bet.  ii.  16).  His  eyes  were  now  opened;  he  beheld 
the  Angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  and  at  once  fell  flat  on 
his  face,  and  said,  "I  have  sinned."  If  it  displease  thee,  he  says,  I 
will  turn  back  again.  The  angel,  however,  replied,  "Go  with  the 
men,  but  only  the  word  that  I  shall  speak  unto  thee,  that  thou  shalt 
speak." 

Balak  went  out  to  meet  Balaam  at  a  city  of  Moab,  on  the  Anion, 
perhaps  Aroer.  On  the  morrow  they  began  their  unhallowed  sac- 
rifices. Climbing  upward,  from  height  to  height,  they  reached  the 
'high  places"  dedicated  to  Baal,  whence  Balaam  could  sec  only 


84  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI. 

the  outermost,  part  of  the  people.  Here  he  bade  Balak  prepare 
seven  altars,  on  each  of  which  he  offered  a  bullock  and  a  ram,  and 
then  retired  to  another  hill  to  see  whether  God  would  come  to  meet 
him.  And  the  Lord  put  a  word  in  his  mouth,  and  he  returned  to 
confound  Balak  and  his  princes  by  asking,  "  How  shall  I  curse 
whom  God  hath  not  cursed  ?  or  how  shall  I  defy  whom  the  Lord 
hath  not  defied?  From  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him,  from  the 
hills  I  behold  him :  the  people  shall  dwell  alone,  they  shall  not  be 
reckoned  among  the  nations.  Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob, 
and  the  number  of  the  fourth  part  of  Israel  ?  Let  me  die  the  death 
of  the  righteous.     Let  my  last  end  be  like  his!" 

Balak  was  deeply  mortified  at  this  result.  He  then  took  the 
prophet  to  a  different  eminence,  from  which  a  view  might  be  ob- 
tained of  another  portion  of  the  Israelite  camp.  On  the  field  of 
Zophim  (the  watchmen),  on  the  top  of  Pisgah,  seven  new  altars 
were  built,  and  on  every  altar  a  bullock  and  a  ram  were  offered. 
Balaam  withdrew  a  little  way,  and  the  Lord  met  him  again,  and 
put  another  word  in  his  mouth.  Thus  he  was  to  say  to  Balak  ; 
"  I  have  received  commandment  to  bless,  and  I  can  not  reverse  it. 
God  hath  not  beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob,  nor  perverseness  in  Israel. 
The  Lord  their  God  is  among  them  ;  to  Him  they  shout  as  their 
King.  No  enchantment  or  divination  can  prevail  against  them. 
The  people  shall  rise  up  like  a  lion,  and  shall  not  lie  down  till  they 
drink  the  blood  of  the  slain."  Balak  then  vented  his  disappoint- 
ment in  the  cry,  "  Neither  curse  them  at  all,  nor  bless  them  at  all." 

Again,  a  third  time,  he  took  Balaam  up  to  another  place,  to  the 
peak — Ncbo,  the  head  of  Pisgah — where  stood  the  sanctuary  of  the 
heathen  god,  Peor.  From  this  eminence  the  Assyrian  seer,  with 
the  King  of  Moab  by  his  side,  looked  over  the  wide  prospect.  It 
was  the  spot  from  which  Moses  soon  after  viewed  the  Promised 
Land.  Here  the  same  sacrifices  were  repeated  ;  but  Balaam  now 
laid  aside  his  arts  of  divination,  for  he  saw  that  it  pleased  the  Lord 
to  bless  Israel.  His  view  ranged  over  the  promised  possessions  of 
Israel  in  the  hills  of  Judah,  Ephraim,  and  Gilead ;  and,  as  he  saw 
Israel  abiding  in  their  tents  according  to  their  tribes,  the  spirit  of 
God  came  upon  him,  and,  with  his  eyes  at  length  opened,  he  took 
up  his  parable  and  prophesied.  In  the  goodly  array  of  their  tents 
he  saw  an  omen  of  their  conquest  over  the  surrounding  nations. 
Headless  of  the  rage  of  Balak,  and  of  his  cruel  sarcasm — "  /thought 
to  promote  thee  to  great  honor  ;  but  lo,  the  Lord  hath  kept  thee 
back  from  honor" — Balaam,  before  returning  to  his  home,  to  which 
he  was  dismissed  by  the  king,  completed  his  prophecy  of  what  the 
Israelites  would  do  to  the  Gentile  nations  in  the  latter  days.  For 
the  fourth  time  lie  opened  his  mouth  ;  and,  in  the  more  distant  fu- 


B.C.  1490-1452.    BALAAM'S  PROPHECIES.  85 

ture,  beheld  a  "  Star  "  coming  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  "  Sceptre  "  ris- 
ing out  of  Israel,  who  should  smite  Moab — a  prophecy  in  part  ful- 
filled by  the  victories  of  David,  but  pointing  forward  to  the  kingdom 
of  Messiah  over  the  outcast  branches  of  the  chosen  family.  Then, 
as  his  eye  ranged  over  the  distant  mountains  of  Seir,  the  home  of 
the  Edomites— over  the  table-land  of  the  desert,  across  which  the 
Amalekites  wandered — over  the  home  of  the  Kenites,  among  the 
rocks  of  Engedi,  on  the  farther  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  hepredieted 
the  destruction  of  these  nations.  As  he  gazed,  the  vision  became 
wider' and  wider  still ;  it  carried  him  back  to  the  banks  of  his  na- 
tive Euphrates,  and  he  saw  the  conquests  of  Asshur  overturned  by 
6hips  coming  from  the  coasts  of  Chittim — the  unknown  land  beyond 
the  Western  Sea,  and  he  exclaimed,  "Alas,  who  shall  live  when 
God  doeth  this  !"  Then  lie  rose  up  and  returned  to  the  place  as- 
signed for  his  abode  (Numb,  xxii.-xxiv.). 

Can  we  read  the  sublime  prophecies  of  Balaam  without  wishing 
that  his  desire  for  his  latter  end  might  have  been  fulfilled  ?  Doubt- 
less it  might  have  been,  had  he  renounced  the  vain  desire  after  gain 
and  honor ;  but  he  remained  among  the  Moabites  and  Midianites, 
clinging,  no  doubt,  to  the  chance  of  reward.  By  his  advice  the 
people  were  tempted  to  share  in  the  lascivious  rites  of  Peor,  and  to 
commit  whoredom  with  the  daughters  of  Moab.  The  wrath  of  the 
Lord  was  shown  in  a  plague  which  broke  out  in  the  camp  and  de- 
stroyed 24,000  persons.  Moses  doomed  all  the  offenders  to  death. 
Phinehas,  the  son  of  Elcazar  the  high-priest,  set  an  example  of 
zeal  by  transfixing  with  a  javelin  a  man  of  Israel  and  a  Midianit- 
ish  woman  whom  he  had  brought  into  his  tent  in  the  face  of  the 
congregation  as  they  wept  before  the  Lord.  So  the  plague  was 
staved,  and  the  house  of  Eleazar  was  assured  of  a  perpetual  priest- 
hood (Numb.  xxv.  1-8). 

For  these  plots  against  Israel,  as  well  as  for  their  former  inhos- 
pitality,  the  Moabites  were  excluded  from  the  congregation  to  the 
tenth  generation,  and  the  Midianites  were  doomed  to  destruction 
(Numb.  xxv.  16,  17).  The  execution  of  this  sentence  was  the  last 
act  of  the  government  of  Moses.  All  the  men  of  Midian  were  slain, 
with  the  princes  who  had  been  allied  with  Balak  ;  and  Balaam  died 
in  the  general  slaughter.  Before  this  war  another  census  had  been 
taken,  by  which  the  number  of  the  people  was  found  to  be  nearly 
the  same  as  before  Sinai,  38i  years  earlier.  But  among  those  who 
were  numbered,  only  two— Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the 
son  of  Jephunneh — were  alive  at  the  first  census.  Joshua  was  at 
this  time  consecrated  by  the  high-priest  Elcazar  to  be  the  successor 
of  Moses  (Numb,  xxvii.  18-23). 

After  the  slaughter  of  the  Midianites,  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and 


80  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI. 

Gad  came  to  Moses  and  Eleazar  and  the  elders,  with  the  request 
that  they  might  have  the  conquered  land  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  the 
upland  pastures  of  which  made  it  desirable  for  their  numerous  cat- 
tle to  settle  there,  and  not  go  over  Jordan.  "  Shall  your  brethren 
go  to  war,"  said  Moses,  "and  shall  ye  sit  here  ?"  On  their  promise 
that  they  would  leave  only  their  families  and  their  cattle  in  their 
new  abodes,  while  they  themselves  would  march  armed  in  the  van 
of  their  brethren  till  the  whole  land  should  lie  subdued,  he  yielded 
io  their  request,  and  allowed  them  to  have  this  region  for  their  in- 
heritance. The  tribe  of  Reuben  was  settled  in  the  south  of  the 
region  on  the  east  side  of  Jordan,  from  the  Anion  to  the  southern 
slopes  of  Mount  Gilead.  That  mountain  was  given  to  Gad,  whose 
northern  border  just  touched  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth.  The  north- 
east  part  of  the  mountain  range  of  Gilead,  and  the  land  of  Bashan 
as  far  as  Mount  Hermon,  were  at  the  same  time  allotted  to  half  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh. 

The  work  of  Moses  was  now  finished.  The  forty  years'  pilgrim- 
age was  drawing  to  its  close  :  the  men  of  the  old  generation  had 
passed  away,  and  a  new  generation  had  sprung  up,  who  had  not  be- 
held the  wonders  of  Sinai.  Before  his  departure,  Moses,  by  the 
command  of  God,  assembled  all  the  people,  rehearsed  to  them  the 
dealings  of  Jehovah  and  their  own  conduct  since  they  had  departed 
from  Egypt,  repeated  the  law,  with  certain  modifications  and  addi- 
tions, and  enforced  it  with  the  most  solemn  exhortations,  warnings, 
and  prophecies  of  their  future  history.  This  series  of  addresses  is 
contained  in  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy  {the  repetition  of  the  law"). 
It  was  delivered  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  in  the  eleventh  month  of  the 
fortieth  year  from  the  epoch  of  the  Exodus  (Adar  =  February,  1451 
B.C.).  It  consists  of  Three  Discourses,  followed  by  the  Somj  of  Moses, 
the  Wessin'j  of  Moses,  and  the  story  of  his  (hath. 

(i.)  In  the  First  Discourse,  Moses  strives  very  earnestly  to  warn 
the  people  against  the  sins  for  which  their  fathers  failed  to  enter 
the  Promised  Land,  and  to  impress  upon  them  the  one  simple  lesson 
of  obedience.  With  this  special  object  he  recapitulates  the  chief 
events  of  the  last  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  and  especially  those 
which  had  the  most  immediate  bearing  on  the  entry  of  the  people 
into  the  Promised  Land  (Deut.  i.-iv.).  This  discourse  may  t& 
viewed  as  an  introduction  to  the  whole  address. 

(ii.)  The  Second  Discourse  enters  more  fully  into  the  actual  pre. 
cepts  of  the  law,  and  contains  a  recapitulation,  with  some  modifi- 
cations and  additions,  of  the  law  already  given  on  Mount  Sinai. 
Every  word  shows  the  heart  of  the  lawgiver  full  at  once  of  zeal 
for  God  and  of  the  most  fervent  desire  for  the  welfare  of  his  nation 
(Deut.  v.-xxvi.). 


B.C.  1490-1452.    CLOSE  OF  MOSES'  CAREER.  8? 

(iii.)  The  T/nrd  Discourse  relates  almost  entirely  to  the  solemn 
sanctions  of  the  law  :  the  blessing  and  the  curse.  Moses  now  speaks 
in  conjunction  with  the  elders  of  the  people  and  with  the  priests, 
whose  office  it  would  be  to  carry  out  the  ceremony  that  was  to  be 
performed  as  soon  as  they  had  crossed  the  Jordan  (Deut.  xxvii.1-9). 
The  place  selected  was  that  sacred  spot  in  the  centre  of  the  land 
where  Abraham  and  Jacob  had  first  pitched  their  tents  under  the 
oaks  of  Moreh.  Here  the  green  valley  of  Shcchem  is  bounded  on 
the  north  and  south  by  two  long  rocky  hills ;  the  former  Mount 
Eijal,  the  latter  Mount  Gerizim.  As  soon  as  they  should  have 
crossed  over  Jordan,  the  people  were  commanded  to  set  up,  on  the 
summit  of  Ebal,  an  altar  of  great  stones,  covered  witli  plaster  and 
inscribed  with  the  law  of  God.  Then  the  Twelve  Tribes  were  to  bo 
divided  between  the  two  hills.  On  Gerizim,  Simeon,  Levi,  Judah, 
Issachar,  Joseph,  and  Benjamin  were  to  stand  to  bless  the  people  ; 
on  Ebal,  Reuben,  Gad,  Asher,  Zebulun,  Dan,  and  Naphtali,  to  curse 
them  (Deut.  xxvii.  12,  13).  Moses  then  proceeds  to  amplify  the 
blessing  and  the  curse ;  but  chiefly  the  latter,  as  the  warning  was 
more  needed.  He  foretells,  with  terrible  explicitness,  the  course 
actually  followed  by  the  Israelites  —  death  and  famine,  failure  in 
every  work,  subjection  to  their  own  servants,  invasion  by  a  mighty 
nation,  ending  in  the  forlorn  lot  of  the  captive  in  a  foreign  land, 
oppressed  by  his  tyrants  and  uncertain  of  his  very  life;  4iIn  the 
morning  thou  shalt  say,  Would  God  it  were  even!  and  at  even 
thou  shalt  say,  Would  God  it  were  morning."  "  I  call  heaven  and 
earth  to  record  against  you  this  day,"  he  says,  "that  I  have  set  be- 
fore you  life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing :  therefore  choose  life 
that  both  thou  and  thy  seed  may  live,  and  that  thou  mayest  dwell 
in  the  land  which  the  Lord  sware  unto  thy  fathers  to  give  them  " 
(Deut.  xxx.  19). 

Moses  then  wrote  "  this  law,"  and  delivered  it  to  the  Levites  to 
be  kept  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant  as  a  perpetual  witness  against 
the  people ;  and  he  commanded  them  to  read  it  to  all  Israel  when 
assembled  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  every  Sabbatic  year  (Deut. 
xxxi.  9,  10).  The  Lord  then  said  to  Moses,  "  Behold,  thy  days  ap- 
proach that  thou  must  die :  call  Joshua,  and  present  yourselves  in 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  that  I  may  give  him  a  charge." 
When  they  presented  themselves  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses  to  add  to  the  book  of  the  law  a  Song, 
which  the  children  of  Israel  were  enjoined  to  learn  as  a  witness  for 
God  against  them.  This  "  Song  of  Moses  "  recounts  the  blessings 
of  God,  the  Rock :  His  perfect  work,  His  righteous  ways,  and  the 
corrupt  requital  of  His  foolish  people  (Deut.  xxxii.). 

(iv.)  When  Moses  had  made  an  end  of  speaking  all  these  words 


88  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VI 

to  the  people,  he  then  uttered,  no  longer  as  the  lawgiver  of  his  na- 
tion but  as  the  prophet,  his  blessing  on  the  Twelve  Tribes.  This 
Blessing  of  Moses  closely  resembles,  in  its  structure  and  its  contents, 
the  dying  blessing  of  Jacob  on  his  sons.  Besides  the  new  and  fer- 
vent description  of  Levi's  priesthood,  it  speaks  of  the  favors  that 
God  would  shower  on  the  tribes,  and  describes  most  richly  the  hap- 
piness of  the  whole  people  (Dent,  xxxiii.). 

(v.)  And  now,  the  time  of  his  departure  being  come,  Moses  went 
up  from  the  plains  of  Moab  to  Nebo,  the  top  of  Pisgah,  over  against 
Jericho.  And  the  Lord  showed  him  northward  all  the  land  of 
Gilead  till  it  ended  far  beyond  his  sight  in  Dan.  Westward  were 
the  distant  hills  of  "  all  Naphtali."  Coming  nearer  was  "  the  land 
of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh."  Immediately  opposite  was  "  all  the 
land  of  Judah,"  stretching  far  away  unto  the  "utmost  sea,"  and 
the  desert  of  the  south.  At  his  feet  was  the  plain  of  Jericho,  the 
city  of  palm-trees ;  and  far  away  on  his  left,  though  hardly  visible, 
the  last  inhabited  spot  before  the  great  desert — "Zoar."  Such 
was  the  scene  which  lay  open  before  Moses  when  he  was  alone  with 
God  upon  the  sacred  mountain  of  the  Moabites.  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  him,  "This  is  the  land  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham, 
unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  saying,  I  will  give  it  unto  thy  seed  :  I 
have  caused  thee  to  see  it  with  thine  eyes,  but  thou  shalt  not  go 
over  thither."  There  he  died,  nigh  to  that  desert  where  the  labor 
of  his  life  had  been.  And  the  Lord  buried  him  in  a  valley  in  front 
of  Bethpeor — somewhere,  doubtless,  in  the  gorges  of  Pisgah — but 
no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  (Dent,  xxxiv.  1-6). 

The  children  of  Israel  mourned  for  Moses  thirty  days  in  the 
plains  of  Moab,  and  they  rendered  obedience  to  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  on  whom  Moses  had  laid  his  hands,  and  who  was  full  of  the 
spirit  of  wisdom.  But  no  prophet  arose  afterwards  in  Israel  like 
unto  Moses,  whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face  (Deut.  xxxiv.  8-10). 

Moses  must  be  considered,  like  all  the  saints  and  heroes  of  the 
Bible,  as  a  man  of  marvellous  gifts,  raised  up  by  Divine  Providence 
for  a  special  purpose,  and  led  into  a  closer  communion  with  the  un- 
seen world  than  any  other  in  the  Old  Testament.  There  are  two 
main  characters  in  which  he  appears — as  a  leader  and  as  a  prophet 

(i.)  Of  his  natural  gifts  as  a  leader  we  have  but  few  means  of 
judging.  The  two  main  difficulties  which  he  encountered  were  the 
reluctance  of  the  people  to  submit  to  his  guidance,  and  the  im- 
practicable nature  of  the  country  which  they  had  to  pass  through 
We  have  seen  how  patiently  lie  bore  their  murmurs — at  the  Red 
Sea,  at  the  worship  of  the  golden  calf,  at  the  rebellion  of  Korab,  at 
the  complaints  of  Aaron  and  Miriam.  On  approaching  Canaan, 
the  office  of  the  leader  becomes  blended  with  that  of  the  general  oi 


B.C.  1490-1452.    MOSES'  DEATH  AND  CHARACTER.       89 

the  conqueror  ;  and,  in  the  last  stage  of  his  life,  he  conies  before  us 
very  much  in  this  character. 

(ii.)  His  character  as  a  prophet  is  more  distinctly  brought  out. 
He  is  the  first,  as  he  is  the  greatest,  example  of  a  prophet  in  the 
Old  Testament.  In  a  certain  sense  he  was  the  centre  of  a  prophetic 
circle.  His  brother  and  sister  were  both  endowed  with  prophetic 
gifts,  but  they  were  more  or  less  inferior  to  Moses.  To  him  the 
divine  revelations  were  made  not  in  dreams  and  figures,  but  "  mouth 
to  mouth,"  even  apparently,  and  not  in  dark  speeches  (Numb.xii.  8). 
He  was,  in  a  sense  peculiar  to  himself,  the  founder  and  representa- 
tive  of  his  people.  His  personal  character  was  what  we  should  now 
represent  by  the  word  "disinterested."  All  that  is  told  of  him  in- 
dicates a  withdrawal  of  himself,  a  preference  of  the  cause  of  his  na- 
tion to  his  own  interests. 

In  the  New  Testament,  Moses  is  spoken  of  as  a  likeness  of  Christ. 
There  were  three  main  points  of  resemblance — (a.)  Christ  was,  like 
Moses,  the  great  prophet  of  the  people— the  last,  as  Moses  was  the 
first.  In  greatness  of  position  none  came  between  them.  (6.) 
Christ,  like  Moses,  is  a  lawgiver:  "Him  shall  ye  hear."  (c.) 
Christ,  like  Moses,  was  a  prophet  out  of  the  midst  of  the  nation — 
"  from  their  brethren."  As  Moses  was  the  entire  representative  of 
his  people,  so,  with  reverence  be  it  said,  was  Christ. 


The  Serpent  "  Cceph  Agathodamion,"  tbe  Egyptisn  Symbol  of  Immortality, 


The  Golikn  Candlestick. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    LEGISLATION    OF    MOSES. 


SECTION    I. 
THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   THE    MOSAIC    LAW. 

A  large  portion  of  the  books  of  Exodus  and  Numbers,  and  near- 
ly the  whole  of  Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy,  are  occupied  with  the 
Laws  which  Moses  was  the  instrument  of  giving  to  the  Jewish  peo- 
ple. Ho  ever  keeps  before  our  eyes  the  fact  that  the  law  which  he 
delivered  came  from  God.  Its  outline  was  given  from  Mount  Si- 
nai by  the  voice  of  God  himself.  The  section  which  relates  to  the 
ordinances  of  divine  worship  was  communicated  to  Moses  by  a  spe- 
cial revelation,  while  he  was  alone  with  God  in  the  Mount  (Exod. 
xxiv.  18).  It  is  this  character  which  distinguishes  his  legislation 
from  that  of  all  other  great  lawgivers. 

Before  attempting  to  point  out  the  principal  divisions  of  the  Mo- 
saic code,  it  is  necessary  to  discover  first  its  leading  principles. 

The  commonwealth  of  Israel  was  a  theocracy,  that  is,  a  govern- 
ment under  the  direct  guidance  and  control  of  God  himself.  He 
was  ever  present  with  the  people,  abiding  in  His  tabernacle  in  their 
midst,  manifested  by  the  symbol  of  His  presence,  and  speaking  to 


Chap.  VII  THE  MOSAIC  LAW.  91 

them  continually  through  Moses  and  the  high-priest.  The  whole 
law  was  the  direct  expression  of  His  will,  and  the  government  was 
carried  on  with  constant  reference  to  His  decisions.  Thus  His  un- 
seen presence  was  to  Israel  what  a  visible  king  was  to  other  na- 
tions. Hence  their  desire  to  have  another  king  is  spoken  of  as 
treason  to  Him  (1  Sam.  viii.  7).  Moreover,  the  people  were  Ilia 
possession ;  for  He  had  redeemed  them  from  their  slavery  in  Egypt, 
and  was  leading  them  into  a  new  land  of  His  own  choice.  His 
right  over  their  persons  was  asserted  by  His  claim  to  the  first-born 
both  of  man  and  of  beast  (Exod.  xiii.  2),  and  by  requiring  the  Jew- 
ish slave  to  be  set  free  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  service  (Deut.  xv. 
12-15).  His  absolute  right  over  their  land  was  the  fundamental 
condition  upon  which  all  property  was  held  by  the  Jews.  Its  hold- 
ers were  deemed  His  tenants.  The  payment  of  tithes  as  a  kind  of 
rent  was  a  constant  acknowledgment  of  this  right ;  and  in  requiring 
all  sold  land  to  be  restored,  in  the  year  of  jubilee,  to  the  families 
whose  allotment  it  originally  was,  there  was  the  strongest  reasser- 
tion  of  His  sole  proprietorship  (Lev.  xxv.  25-28). 

The  people,  on  their  part,  were  required  to  believe  in  the  intimate 
relations  thus  established  between  Jehovah  and  themselves.  They 
accepted  this  relationship  first  of  all  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai,  and 
into  this  covenant  every  Israelite  was  initiated  by  circumcision,  the 
common  seal  of  God's  covenant  with  Abraham  and  with  themselves. 
They  were  to  observe  it  in  practice  by  the  worship  of  Jehovah  as 
the  only  God,  by  abstaining  from  idolatry,  and  by  obedience  to  the 
law  as  the  expression  of  His  will. 

From  this  relation  of  Jehovah  to  the  people  each  separate  por- 
tion of  the  law  may  be  deduced. 

The  basis  of  the  whole  law  is  laid  in  the  Ten  Commandments,  as 
we  call  them,  though  they  are  nowhere  so  entitled  by  Moses  him- 
self, but  the  "Ten  Words"  (Exod.  xxxiv.  28),  the  Covenant,  or 
very  often  the  Testimony.  Their  division  into  Tiro  Tables  is  ex- 
pressly mentioned,  and  it  answered,  no  doubt,  to  that  summary  of 
the  law  which  was  made  both  by  Moses  and  by  our  Lord,  so  that 
the  First  Table  contained  Duties  to  God,  and  the  Second,  Duties  to 
»ur  Neit/hbor.     The  First  Table  contains  Four  Commandments. 

The  First  Commandment,  begins  with  the  declaration,  "I  am  th3 
Lord  thy  God  which  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  out  of 
the  house  of  bondage"  (Exod.  xx.  2).  This  clause  involves  as  its 
consequences  :  (1.)  The  belief  in  Jehovah  as  Cod,  the  acceptance 
of  His  covenant,  and  the  observance  of  His  ordinances.  (2.)  The 
Holiness  of  the  People  as  Jehovah's  peculiar  possession,  with  their 
families,  servants,  and  all  that  belonged  to  them.  The  remainder 
of  the  commandment  forbids  them  to  "  have  any  other  gods  before 


92  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VIL 

Jehovah,"  that  is,  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  For  false  worship 
began,  not  with  the  positive  rejection  of  the  true  God,  but  by  asso- 
ciating with  His  worship  that  of  other  gods  and  their  images. 

The  Second  Commandment,  which  is  the  necessary  consequence  of 
the  first,  prohibits  the  making  and  worshipping  of  any  likeness  of 
any  object  in  the  heaven,  the  earth,  and  the  water.  The  command- 
ment does  not  forbid  sculpture,  which  God  enjoined  in  the  case  of 
the  cherubim  (Exod.  xxv.  18),  but  it  forbids  the  making  of  images 
for  the  purposes  of  worship. 

The  Third  Commandment  enforces  the  reverence  of  the  lips  towards 
Jehovah  and  His  holy  name  ;  it  implies  the  sacredness  of  oaths  ana 
vows,  and  also  embraces  common  speech. 

The  Fourth  Commandment  is  based  on  the  principle  that  our  na- 
ture needs  seasons  for  remembering  our  God  and  Maker.  Under  it 
may  be  grouped  all  the  ordinances  for  the  observance  of  times  and 
festivals. 

We  now  proceed  to  the  special  laws  based  upon  these  command- 
ments of  the  first  table,  and  have  first  to  speak  of  God's  presence 
among  the  people;  the  Tabernacle,  with  its  furniture,  and  its  ministers. 


SECTION  II. 

THE    TABERNACLE. 

To  give  the  Israelites  a  visible  manifestation  of  God's  continual 
piesence  with  them,  on  the  very  night  in  which  they  began  their 
march,  the  visible  symbol  of  that  presence  went  before  them,  in 
The  Shekinah,  or  pillar  of  fire  by  night  and  of  a  cloud  by  day, 
giving  by  its  advance  or  halt  the  signal  for  their  march  or  rest. 
Sacrifice  was  contemplated  as  the  very  object  of  their  journey,  and 
it  was  soon  declared  that  God  would  fix  a  place  for  His  abode  where 
alone  sacrifices  might  be  offered. 

After  the  Ten  Commandments  were  proclaimed  from  Mount  Sinai, 
the  first  ordinances  given  to  Moses  related  to  the  ordering  of  the 
Taisernacle,  its  furniture,  and  its  service.  While  he  was  alone 
with  God  in  Sinai,  an  exact  pattern  of  the  whole  was  shown  to  him, 
and  all  was  made  according  to  it  (Exod.  xxv.  9).  It  was  the  tent 
of  Jehovah,  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  tents  of  the  people.  It  was 
a  portable  building,  designed  to  contain  the  sacred  ark,  the  special 
symbol  of  God's  presence,  and  was  set  up  within  an  inclosed  space 
called  the  Court  of  the  Tabernacle.  This  inclosnre  was  of  an  oblong 
form,  100  cubits  by  50  (/.  c,  150  feet  by  75  feet),  standing  east  and 
west,  with  an  entrance  on  the  eastern  side.     It  was  surrounded  by 


Chap.  VII 


THE  TABERNACLE. 


93 


20 


30 


•10 

i 


50  Cubits. 


20       ;jo       jo       So       go       t>  7$  Feet. 

Plan  of  the  Court  oi*  the  Tabernacle. 


hangings  of  fine-twined  linen  (canvas),  suspended  from  pillars  of 
brass  5  cubits  (7A-  feet)  apart,  to  which  the  curtains  were  attached 
by  hooks  and  fillets  of  silver.  The  tabernacle  itself  was  placed  in 
the  western  half  of  the  inclosure  ;  in  the  outer  or  eastern  half,  not 


94  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII 

far  from  the  entrance,  stood  the  altar  of  burnt-offering,  betweer 
which  and  the  tabernacle  was  the  laver  of  brass  at  which  the  priestv 
washed  their  bands  and  feet  every  time  they  ministered  (Exod.  xxx. 
18-20).  The  tabernacle  was  an  oblong  rectangular  structure,  45 
feet  by  1  ">,  and  15  in  height ;  and  the  interior  was  divided  into  two 
portions,  the  first  or  outer  being  two-thirds,  and  the  inner  one-third, 
of  the  whole.  The  former  was  called  the  First  Tabernacle,  or  Holy 
Place,  and  contained  the  golden  candlestick  on  one  side,  the  table 
of  shew-bread  opposite,  and  in  the  centre  between  them  the  altar  of 
incense.  The  inner  portion  was  the  Most  Holy  Place,  or  the  Holy 
of  Holies ;  it  contained  the  ark,  in  which  were  deposited  the  two 
tables  of  stone,  covered  by  the  mercy  seat,  and  surmounted  by  figure 
of  gold  called  cherubim.  The  walls  of  this  structure  were  made  of 
boards  of  shittiin  (acacia)  wood,  overlaid  with  gold.  On  the  eastern 
side  there  were  no  boards,  but  the  entrance  was  closed  by  a  curtain 
of  fine  linen  embroidered  in  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet,  attached  by 
golden  books  to  five  pillars  of  shittim-wood,  overlaid  with  gold, 
which  were  let  into  brass  sockets.  A  more  sumptuous  curtain  of 
the  same  kind,  embroidered  with  figures  of  cherubim,  and  hung  on 
four  such  pillars  with  silver  sockets,  divided  the  Holy  from  the  Most 
Holy  Place  (Exod.  xxvi.  31,  33).  It  was  called  the  Vail,  as  it  bid 
from  the  eyes  of  all  but  the  high-priest  the  inmost  sanctuary  where 
Jehovah  dwelt  on  His  mercy-seat  between  the  cherubim  above  the 
ark.  It  was  passed  only  by  the  high-priest  once  a  year,  on  the  Day 
of  Atonement.  The  Holy  Place  was  entered  daily  by  the  priests 
alone,  to  offer  incense  at  the  time  of  morning  and  evening  prayer, 
and  to  renew  the  lights  on  the  golden  candlestick  ;  and  on  the 
Sabbath  to  remove  the  old  shew-bread  and  to  place  the  new  upon 
the  table. 

(i.)  In  the  Onter  Court. 

1.  The  altar  of Burnt-offaing  stood  in  the  midst  of  this  court,  and 
formed  the  central  point  of  the  sen  ices  in  which  the  people  had 
a  part.  On  it  all  sacrifices  and  oblations  were  presented,  except 
the  sin-offerings,  which  were  burnt  without  the  camp.  It  was  a 
large  hollow  case,  about  lh  feet  square,  and  standing  about  44  feet 
bigh,  made  of  shittim-wood  overlaid  within  and  without  with  plates 
of  brass,  and  with  a  movable  grating  of  brass  suspended  in  the  mid- 
dle on  iron  rings,  on  which  the  wood  for  the  sacrifices  was  placed 
(Exod.  xxxviii.  1-7).  The  priest  went  up  to  it  not  by  steps,  but  by 
a  sloping  bank  of  earth. 

2.  The  Brazen  Laver,  a  vessel  on  a  foot,  held  the  water  with 
which  the  priests  washed  their  hands  and  feet  before  commencing 
their  sacred  ministrations.  It  stood  between  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering  and  the  entrance  to  the  huly  place. 


Chap.  VII.     FURNITURE  OF  THE  TABERNACLE. 


95 


(ii.)  In  the  Holy  Place,  or  Sanctuary. 
The  furniture  of  the  outer  court  was  connected  with  sacrifice-, 
but  that  of  the  sanctuary  with  the  deeper  mysteries  of  mediation 
and  access  to  God.  The  holy  place  contained  three  objects:  the  al- 
tar of  incense  in  the  centre,  the  table  of  shew-breacl  on  its  right  01 
north  side,  and  the  golden  candlestick  on  the  left  or  south  side. 

1.  The  Altar  of  Incense  was  made  of  shittim  (acacia)  wood,  over, 
laid  with  gold  (Exod.  xxx.  1-10).  It  was  about  18  inches  square 
by  36  inches  high.  It  had  an  ornamental  rim  of  gold  around  its 
top,  with  projections  at  the  corners,  called  horns.  Upon  these, 
once  a  year,  the  blood  of  the  sin-offering  of  the  atonement  was 
sprinkled,  but  no  other  offering  might  be  laid  thereon.  Incense 
was  offered  upon  this  altar  daily,  morning  and  evening,  at  the  time 
the  lamps  were  trimmed.  The  priest  took  some  of  the  sacred  fire 
in  a  golden  bowl,  or  censer,  off  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  ;  then, 
entering  the  holy  place,  he  threw  the  incense  upon  it  and  placed 
it  upon  the  golden  altar.  He  then  prayed  and  performed  the  oth- 
er duties  of  his  office,  while  the  people  prayed  outside ;  and  thus 
was  typified  the  intercession  of  Christ  in  heaven  making  His  peo- 
ple's prayers  on  earth  acceptable. 

2.  The  Table  of  Shew-bread  was  an  oblong  table,  with  legs,  about 
3  feet  long,  18  inches  broad,  and  27  inches  high.  It  was  of  shittim- 
wood,  covered  with  gold,  and  its  top  was  finished  with  a  rim  of  gold. 
Upon  this  table  were  placed  twelve  cakes  of  fine  flour,  in  two  rows 


Supposed  form  of  the  Altar  of  Incer.se. 


96  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VIL 

of  six  each,  with  frankincense  upon  each  row.  This  Shew-brea.d,  as 
it  was  called,  from  being  exposed  before  Jehovah,  was  placed  fresh 
upon  the  table  every  Sabbath  by  the  priests,  who  ate  the  old  loaves 
in  the  holy  place  (Lev.  xxiv.  5-9).  Besides  the  shew-bread  there 
was  a  drink-offering  of  wine  placed  in  the  covered  bowls  upon  the 
table.  Some  of  it  was  used  for  libations,  and  what  remained  at  the 
;nd  of  the  week  was  poured  out  before  Jehovah. 

3.  The  Golden  Candlestick,  or  rather  Candelabrum  {lamp-stand), 
was  placed  on  the  left  or  south  side  of  the  altar  of  incense.  It  was 
made  of  pure  beaten  gold,  and  weighed,  with  its  instruments,  a 
talent;  the  value  of  the  pure  metal,  exclusive  of  the  workmanship, 
has  been  estimated  at  £5070.  It  had  an  upright  stem,  from  which 
branched  out,  at  equal  distances  apart,  three  arms  curving  upward 
to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  each  pair  forming  a  semicircle,  and 
their  tops  coming  to  the  same  level  as  the  top  of  the  stem,  so  as  to 
form  with  it  supports  for  seven  lamps.  There  were  oil  vessels  and 
snuffers  for  trimming  the  seven  lamps,  and  dishes  for  carrying  away 
the  snuff,  an  office  performed  by  the  priest  when  he  went  into  the 
sanctuary  every  morning  to  offer  incense.  All  the  lamps  were 
lighted  at  the  time  of  the  evening  oblation,  and  were  kept  burning 
dining  the  night.  As  there  were  no  windows  to  the  tabernacle,  the 
central  lamp  was  alight  in  the  day-time  also.  This  candlestick 
symbolized  the  spiritual  light  of  life,  which  God  gives  to  his  serv- 
ants with  the  u-ords  by  which  they  live  (Exod.  xxv.  31-40). 

(iii.)  In  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

In  the  Holy  of  Holies,  within  the  vail,  and  shrouded  in  darkness, 
there  was  but  one  object,  the  most  sacred  of  all.  There  stood  the 
Ark  of  the  Covenant,  or  the  Testimony — a  sort  of  chest  nearly  four 
feet  long,  and  a  little  over  two  feet  in  width  and  height.  It  was 
of  shittim-wood,  overlaid  with  gold  within  and  without.  It  was 
enriched  with  a  rim  of  gold  round  the  top.  The  cover  of  the  ark 
was  a  plate  of  pure  gold.  Standing  erect  upon  it,  at  opposite  ends, 
with  their  faces  bent  down  and  their  wings  meeting,  were  the  cher- 
ubim, winged  figures  made  of  beaten  gold.  This  covering  was  the 
very  throne  of  God,  and  was  called  the  mercy-seat.  Hence  God 
is  said  to  have  dwelt  between  the  cherubim.  Inclosed  within  the 
ark  were  the  two  tables  of  stone,  inscribed  with  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, and,  in  the  fact  that  God's  throne  of  mercy  covered  and  hid 
the  tables  of  the  law,  we  may  see  a  foreshadowing  of  the  coming 
dispensation  of  the  Gospel  (Exod.  xxv.  10-22). 

Probably  there  never  was  so  small  a  structure  made  at  such  an 
immense  cost.  As  the  quantities  of  the  precious  metals  used  in  its 
tionstii<ction  are  stated,  some  idea  can  be  formed  of  its  surpassing 


UHAP,    VIZ 


HISTORY  OP  THE  TABEKJNAGLK. 


-J7 


richness.  The  value  of  the  materials,  and  of  the  skill  and  labor 
empioyed  in  the  work,  can  not  have  been  much  less  than  a  quarter 
ol  a  million  sterling. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TABERNACLE. 


As  lojg  as  Canaan  remained  iin- 
crmquered,  and  the  people  were  still 
'therefore  an  army,  the  Tabernacle 
was  probably  moved  from  place  to 
place,  wherever  the  host  of  Israel  was 
for  the  time  encamped.  It  rested 
finally  at  "  the  place  which  the  Lord 
had  chosen,"  at  Snn.oii  (Josh.  ix.  27  ; 
xviii.  1).  The  Ark  of  God  was  taken 
by  the  Philistines,  and  the  sanctuary 
lost  its  glory ;  and  the  Tabernacle, 
though  it  did  not  perish,  never  again 
recovered  it  (1  Sam.  iv.  22).  Samuel 
treats  it  as  an  abandoned  shrine,  and 
sacrifices  elsewheve,  at  Mizpeh  (vii. 
0),  at  Ramah  (ix.  12  -.  x.  3),  at  Gilgal 
(x.  S  ;  xi.  15).  It  probably  became 
once  again  a  movable  sanctuary.  For 
a  time  it  seems,  under  Saul,  to  have 
been  settled  at  Nob  (xxi.  1-0).  The 
massacre  of  the  priests  and  the  flight 
of  Abiathar  must,  however,  have  rob- 
bed it  yet  further  of  its  glory.  It  had 
before  lost  the  Ark:  it  now  lost  tin- 
presence  of  the  high-priest  (xxii.  20 ; 
xxiii.  6).  In  some  way  or  other,  it 
found  its  way  to  Gibeon  (1  Chron. 


xvi.  :;9) ;  and  while  the  Ark  remained 
at  Kirjath-jearim,  the  Tabernacle  at 
Gibeon  connected  itself  with  the  wor- 
ship of  the  high  places  (1  Kings  iii. 
4).  The  capture  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
erection  there  of  a  new  Tabernacle, 
with  the  Ark,  of  which  the  old  had 
been  deprived  (•!  Sam.  vi.  IT  ;  1  Chron. 
xv.  1),  left  it  little  more  than  a  tra- 
ditional, historical  sanctity.  It  re- 
tained only  the  old  altar  of  burnt-of- 
ferings (xxi.  9).  The  double  service 
went  on  ;  Zadok,  as  high-priest,  of- 
ficiated at  Gibeon  (xvi.  30) ;  the  more 
recent,  mote  prophetic  service  of 
psalms  and  hymns  and  music,  under 
Asaph,  gathered  round  the  Taber- 
nacle at  Jerusalem  (xvi.  4, 37).  The 
divided  worship  continued  all  the 
days  of  David.  The  sanctity  of  both 
places  was  recognized  by  Solomon 
on  his  accession  (1  Kings,  iii.  15;  2 
Chron.  i.  3),  till  the  claims  of  both 
merged  in  the  higher  glory  of  the 
Temple,  and  the  Tabernacle,  with  all 
its  holy  vessels,  was  removed  by  Sclo- 
mon  to  Jerusalem  (1  Kings  viii.  4)- 


SECTION  III. 


Till;   PRIESTS   AND   LEVITTS. 


Aftkr  this  description  of  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture,  we 
must  now  give  sonic  account  of  those  who  performed  its  services. 
The  whole  of  the  people  were  holy,  and,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  they 
were  a  nation  of  priests,  hut  from  among  them  the  tribe  of  Levi 
were  chosen,  as  the  reward  of  their  devotion  in  the  matter  of  the 
golden  cnlf(Exod.  xxxii.  28),  to  be  the  immediate  attendants  on  Je- 
hovah, that  they  might  "  minister  in  His  courts."  Out  of  that  trilw 
the  house  of  Amram  was  selected,  in  particular,  to  pet  form  the  func- 

G 


98  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap,  VII. 

tions  of  the  priesthood.  Aaron,  as  the  head  of  that  house,  became 
the  High-priest — the  intercessor  between  Jehovah  and  His  people  : 
his  sons  became  the  Priests,  who  alone  could  offer  sacrifices,  and 
the  rest  of  the  tribe  formed  the  class  of  Levites  who  assisted  in  the 
services  of  the  tabernacle. 

I.  The  high-priest  was  distinguished  from  the  other  priests  by 
superior  and  characteristic  functions. 

1.  In  the  consecration  to  the  office,  the  anointing  oil  was  poured 
upon  Aaron's  head  to  sanctify  him  alone  (Levit.  viii.  12);  but  in 
the  anointing  of  his  sons,  i.  e.,  the  common  priests,  it  was  sprinkled 
upon  their  garments  only  (Exod.  xxix.  21). 

2.  The  high-priest  had  an  official  dress,  which  passed  to  his 
successor  at  his  death.  This  dress  consisted  of  eight  parts — the 
breast -j) late,  the  ephod  with  its  curious  girdle,  the  robe  of  the  ephod, 
the  mitre,  the  broidered  coat,  and  the  girdle — the  materials  being 
gold,  blue,  red,  crimson,  and  fine  (white)  linen.  To  the  above  arc 
added  the  breeches,  or  drawers,  of  linen,  and,  to  make  up  the  num- 
ber eight,  some  reckon  the  curious  girdle  of  the  ephod  separately 
from  the  ephod.  Among  the  most  remarkable  of  these  articles  was 
the  breast-plate,  in  which  were  set  twelve  precious  stones,  in  four 
rows,  three  in  a  row,  thus  corresponding  to  the  Twelve  Tribes,  each 
stone  having  the  name  of  one  tribe  engraved  upon  it.  It  was  these 
stones  which  probably  constituted  the  Urim  (light)  and  Thummim 
(perfection)  (Exod.  xxviii.  1~>-21). 

3.  The  high-priest  had  peculiar  functions.  He  alone  was  per- 
mitted to  enter  the  Holy  of  Holies,  which  lie  did  once  a  year,  on  the 
great  day  of  atonement,  when  he  sprinkled  the  blood  of  the  sin-of- 
fering on  the  mercy-seat,  and  burnt  incense  within  the  vail.  He 
was  also  forbidden  to  follow  a  funeral,  or  rend  his  clothes  for  the 
dead. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  sets  forth  the  mystic  meaning  of  his 
office,  as  a  type  of  Christ,  our  great  High-Priest,  who  has  passed 
into  the  heaven  of  heavens  with  his  own  blood,  to  appear  in  the 
presence  of  God  for  us  (Heb.  iv.  14). 

II.  The  Priests. — All  the  sons  of  Aaron  were  priests.  They 
Stood  between  the  high-priest,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  Levites  on 
the  other.  In  all  their  acts  of  ministration  they  were  to  be  bare- 
footed. Before  they  entered  the  tabernacle  they  were  to  wash  their 
hands  and  their  feet,  and  during  the  time  of  their  service  they  were 
to  drink  no  wine  or  strong  drink.  Their  chief  duties  were  to  watch 
over  the  fire  on  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings,  and  to  keep  it  constant- 
ly burning  both  by  day  and  night ;  to  feed  the  lamps  in  the  golden 
candlestick  outside  the  vail  with  oil ;  to  offer  the  morning  and  even- 
ing sacrifices,  each  accompanied  with  a  meat-effering  and  a  drink- 


Chap.  VII.       SACRIFICES  AND  OBLATIONS.  99 

offering  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle.     They  were  also  to  teich  the 
children  of  Israel  the  statutes  of  the  Lord  (Lev.  x.  11). 

III.  The  Levites  were  the  assistants  of  the  priests,  and  included 
all  the  males  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  who  were  not  of  the  family  of 
Aaron,  between  thirty  and  fifty  years  of  age.  They  had  to  carry 
the  tabernacle  and  its  vessels,  to  keep  watch  about  the  sanctuary, 
to  prepare  the  supplies  of  corn,  wine,  oil,  and  so  forth,  and  to  take 
charge  of  the  sacred  treasures  and  revenues.  On  the  settlement  of 
the  Israelites  in  the  Promised  Land,  no  territorial  possessions  were 
given  to  the  Levites.  In  place  of  them  they  received  from  the  other 
tribes  the  tithe  of  the  produce  of  the  land,  from  which  they,  in  their 
turn,  offered  a  tithe  to  the  priests.  Forty-eight  cities  were  assigned 
to  the  whole  tribe,  that  is,  on  an  average,  four  in  the  territory  of 
cacti  tribe ;  thirteen  being  given  to  the  priests,  and  the  rest  to  the 
Levites. 


SECTION  IV. 

SACRIFICES    AND   OBLATIONS. 

These  were  to  be  offered  as  a  perpetual  memorial  of  Jehovah's 
covenant  with  the  people,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  His  mercies, 
and  as  an  atonement  for  sin.  The  distinction  between  sacrifices 
and  oblations  consisted  in  this— that  in  the  former  the  thing  offered 
was  wholly  or  partially  destroyed,  as  being  Jehovah's  only ;  in  the 
latter,  it  was  acknowledged  to  be  His  gift,  and  then  enjoyed  by  the 
offerer. 

The  sacrifices  arc  divided  into  burnt-offerings,  with  the  accom- 
panying meat-offerings  (meat=food  in  general,  especially  corn  and 
flour)  ;  peace-offerings,  sin-offerings,  for  sins  committed  ignorantly; 
and  trespass-offerings,  for  sins  committed  knowingly. 

I.  The  burnt-offkking,  or  perfect  sacrifice,  was  so  called  because 
the  victim  was  wholly  consumed  by  fire  upon  the  altar  of  burnt- 
offering,  and  so,  as  it  were,  sent  up  to  God  on  the  wings  of  fire.  It 
was  a  memorial  of  God's  covenant,  and  signified  that  the  offeror 
belonged  wholly  to  God,  and  that  he  dedicated  himself  soul  r.nd. 
body  to  Him,  and  placed  his  life  at  His  disposal.  Burnt-offerings 
were  either  made  on  behalf  of  the  whole  people,  or  by  one  or  more 
individuals,  who  must  bring  them  of  their  own  free  will  (Lev.  i. ;  vi. 
8-13).  Only  three  kinds  of  animals  might  be  offered,  and  they  must 
be  free  from  disease  or  blemish ;  either  (1)  a  young  bullock  of  not 
less  than  one,  nor  more  than  three  years  ;  (2)  a  Iamb  or  kid.  a  male 
of  the  first  year  ;  (3)  turtle-doves  or  young  pigeons.  Burnt-offerings 
were  made  on  the  following  occasions- 


100  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII. 

1.  The  Daily  Sacrifice  of  a  yearling  lamb  or  kid  was  offered  at  the 
times  of  morning  and  evening  prayer,  before  the  priest  went  into  the 
tabernacle  to  burn  incense. 

2.  The  Sabbath.  jBurnl-offeriny  was  the  daily  sacrifice  doubled 
(Numb,  xxviii.  9,  10). 

3.  The  burnt-offerings  at  the  Festicals  of  the  New  Moon,  the  three 
great  feasts,  the  Day  of  Atonement,  and  the  Feast  of  Trumpets,  were 
generally  two  bullocks,  a  ram,  and  seven  lambs  (Numb,  xxviii.  1 1  ; 
xxix.  39). 

4.  Private  burnt-offerings  prescribed  by  the  law  at  the  consecration 
of  priests,  the  purification  of  women,  the  removal  of  leprosy,  or  other 
ceremonial  uncleanness,  the  performance  or  the  accidental  breach 
of  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite. 

II.  The  meat-OFFERIXG  and  the  drink-offering  always  accom- 
panied the  burnt-offering,  for  which,  indeed,  the  meat-offering  might 
be  substituted  by  the  poor.  As  the  burnt-offering  signified  the  con- 
secration of  life  to  God,  so  in  the  meat-offering  the  produce  of  the 
land  was  presented  before  Him  as  being  His  gift,  in  both  cases  with 
the  devout  acknowledgment,  "Of  Thine  own  have  we  given  Thee" 
(1  Chron.  xxix.  14). 

III.  The  peace-offering  was  not  an  atoning  sacrifice  to  make 
peace  with  God,  but  a  joyful  celebration  of  peace  made  through  the 
covenant.  In  this  part  of  the  ritual  we  see  Jehovah,  as  it  were, 
present  in  His  house,  and  inviting  the  worshipper  to  feast  with  Him. 
Peace-offerings  were  presented  either  as  a  thanksgiving,  or  in  fulfill- 
ment of  a  vow,  or  as  a  free-will  offering  of  love  and  joy.  Onlv 
a  part  was  burnt  upon  the  altar,  and  was  thus  offered  to  Jehovah  ; 
the  breast  and  the  shoulder  were  the  portion  of  the  priests;  the  rest 
might  be  eaten  by  the  worshipper. 

IV.  The  sin-offering  was  an  expiatory  sacrifice  for  sins  of  igno- 
rance, committed  cither  by  a  priest  or  by  any  of  the  people ;  and  also 
as  a  purification  from  possible  sin  and  uncleanness  in  general.  For 
each  of  these  cases  special  victims  were  to  he  offered  with  special 
ceremonies  (Lev.  vi.  21-30). 

V.  Trespass-offerings  were  for  sins  committed  knowingly,  as 
well  as  for  acts  of  ceremonial  uncleanness.  They  are  not  very 
clearly  distinguished  from  sin-offerings. 

VI.  Oblations  are  not  clearly  distinguished  from  those  sacrifices 
which  were  in  the  nature  of  gifts;  the  following  may  be  mentioned 
separately  : 

1.  The  shew-bread  and  incense,  which  were  perpetually  offered  in 
the  holy  place. 

2.  Free  oblations,  the  fruits  of  vows  and  promises. 

3.  Prescribed  oblations — namely,  (i.)  The  first-fruits  of  corn,  of- 


Chap.  VII.    THE  HOLINESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  101 

fered  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  of  wine,  oil,  and  wool ;  (ii.)  The 
first-horn  of  man  and  beast;  (iii.)  Tithes  of  the  produce  of  the 
land- 


SECTION  V. 

Till;   HOLINESS  OF  THE   TliOrLE. 

The  holiness  of  the  people  was  a  principle  as  sacred  as  the  con. 
sccration  of  the  priests.  It  was  enforced  upon  the  Jews  by  ceremo- 
nies and  restrictions  reaching  to  every  detail  of  their  daily  lives.  It 
is  the  central  subject  of  the  book  of  Leviticus,  which,  after  setting 
forth  in  its  earlier  portion  the  laws  of  sacrifice,  next  proceeds  to  es- 
tablish the  holiness  and  purity  of  the  people  in  person,  act,  speech, 
and  property. 

The  following  institutions  were  founded  upon  this  principle: 

1.  Circumcision  (Lev.  xii.  3). — As  this  rite  had  been  enjoined  at 
a  very  early  period,  its  repetition  in  the  later  books  was  unneces- 
sary (Gen.  xvii.  10—14). 

2.  The  Dedication  of  the  First-born  of  men  and  beasts,  and  the 
offering  of  the  first-fruits  of  all  produce  (Exod.  xiii.  2  ;  Deut.  xxvi. 
10). 

3.  The  Preservation  of  personal  Purity  (Lev.  xviii.-xx.). — The 
law  of  Moses,  like  that  of  Christ,  takes  cognizance  of  sins  against  a 
mans  own  self  from  that  principle  of  holiness  to  God  which  is  sc 
emphatically  laid  down  by  the  Apostle  Paul  (Rom.  vi.  12,  13).  It 
enacted  various  provisions  fur  purification,  which  were  to  be  ob- 
served both  by  priests  and  people  in  divine  worship,  and  also  in 
cases  of  personal  uncleanness  and  of  leprosy  (Lev.  xi.-xiii.). 

4.  The  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  animals  for  food  as 
well  as  sacrifice.  Though  these  laws  may  have  had  some  reference 
to  the  preservation  of  health,  yet  their  first  signification  was  a  re- 
ligious one. 

5.  The  Laws  against  personal  Disfigurement,  by  shaving  the  head 
and  cutting  the  flesh,  especially  as  an  act  of  mourning  (Lev.  xix,  27, 
28). 

(5.  The  Provisions  for  the  Poor,  regarded  as  brethren  in  the 
common  bond  of  the  covenant  of  God.  Gleanings  in  the  field  and 
vineyard  were  their  legal  right  (Lev.  xix.  1),  10)  ;  slight  trespass  was 
allowed,  such  as  plucking  corn  while  passing  through  a  field  (Deut. 
xxiii.  25)  ;  wages  were  to  be  paid  day  by  day  ;  loans  might  not  be 
refused,  nor  usury  taken  from  an  Israelite;  no  partiality  was  to  be 
shown  between  rich  and  poor  in  dispensing  justice  (Lev.  xix.  15) ; 
and  besides  nil  this,  there  are  the  most  urgent  injunctions  to  kindness 


102  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII. 

to  the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan,  and  the  strongest  denuncia- 
tion of  all  oppression  (Deut.  xv.  7-11). 

7.  And  great  care  was  taken  to  enforce  humanity  in  general.  If 
a  slave  died  under  chastisement,  his  master  was  punishable  ;  if  he 
were  maimed,  he  was  at  once  to  have  his  liberty  (Exod.  xxi.  20,  2G, 
27).  Runaway  slaves  from  foreign  nations  were  not  to  be  given 
up  (Deut.  xxiii.  15),  and  stealing  and  selling  a  man  was  punished 
with  death  (Exod.  xxi.  16).  The  law  "even  cared  for  oxen,"  de- 
claring, "thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  when  he  treadeth  out  the 
corn'r  (Deut.  xxv.  4).  It  went  farther,  and  provided  against  wanton 
cruelty,  by  adding  such  precepts  as  those  which  forbade  the  parent 
bird  to  be  captured  with  its  young,  or  the  kid  to  be  boiled  in  its 
mother's  milk  (Deut.  xxii.  G,  7  ;  Exod.  xxxiv.  26). 


SECTION  VI. 

THE    SACKED    SEASONS. 

The  religious  times  ordained  in  the  law  fall  under  three  heads; 

i.  Those  connected  with  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath — namely, 

1.  The  weekly  Sabbath  itself. 

2.  The  Feast  of  the  New  Moon. 

3.  The  Sabbatical  Month  and  the  Feast  of  Trumpets. 

4.  The  Sabbatical  Year. 

5.  The  Year  of  Jubilee. 

ii.  The  three  great  historical  festivals — namely, 

1.  The  Passover. 

2.  The  Feast  of  Pentecost. 

3.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

iii.  The  Day  of  Atonement. 

To  these  must  be  added  the  festivals  established  after  the  captiv. 
ity  —  namely,  (1)  the  Feast  of  Purim  or  Lots,  (2)  the  Feast  of 
Dedication. 

i.  FESTIVALS  CONNECTED  WITH  THE  SABBATH 

1  The  Sabbath  is  so  named  from  a  Hebrew  word  signifying  rest 
The  consecration  of  the  Sabbath  goes  hack  to  the  creation:  "And 
God  blessed  the  seventh  day  and  sanctified  it"  (Gen.  ii.  3).  The 
intervals  between  Noah's  sending  forth  the  birds  out  of  the  ark  lead 
us  to  infer  its  observance  from  the  earliest  period.  That  this  was 
one  of  the  institutions  adopted  by  Moses  from  the  ancient  patriarchal 
usage  is  implied  in  the  very  words  of  the  law,  "  Remember  the  Sab- 


Chap.  VII.    THE  HOLINESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE.  103 

bath  day  to  keep  it  holy."  It  was  to  bo  a  sacred  pause  in  the  or- 
dinary labor  by  which  man  earns  his  bread — a  season  of  joyful  rest 
and  recreation  in  communion  with  God,  who  himself  "  rested  and 
was  refreshed  "  (Exod.  xxxi.  17).  The  commandment  was  not  in- 
tended to  impose  idleness,  but  to  prohibit  work  for  worldly  gain. 

The  Sabbath  is  named  as  a  day  of  special  worship  in  the  sanctuary 
(Lev.  xix.  30).  It  was  proclaimed  as  a  holy  convocation,  a  feast  of 
the  Lord  (Lev.  xxiii.  3).  The  public  religious  services  consisted  in 
the  doubling  of  the  morning  and  evening  sacrifice,  and  the  renewal 
of  the  shew-bread  in  the  holy  place.  On  this  day  the  people  were 
accustomed  to  consult  their  prophets  (2  Kinys  iv.  23).  It  was  "  the 
Sabbath  of  Jehovah,"  not  only  in  the  sanctuary  but  "in  all  their 
dwellings." 

2.  The  Feast  of  the  New  Moon  marked  the  completion  of  the 
lunai  month.  On  the  first  sight  of  her  new  crescent  the  announce- 
ment was  made  to  Israel  by  the  sounding  of  two  sacred  silver 
trumpets  (Numb.  x.  10).  The  day  was  not  kept  as  a  Sabbath,  but 
observed  as  a  festival.  Besides  the  daily  sacrifice,  a  burnt-offering 
was  made  of  two  bullocks,  a  ram,  and  seven  lambs,  with  a  meat 
and  drink  offering,  and  a  goat  for  a  sin-offering.  This  is  one  of  the 
feasts  left  by  the  apostle  to  Christian  liberty  (Col.  ii.  1G). 

3.  The  Sabbatical  Month  and  the  Feast  of  Trumpets.  The 
month  of  Tisri,  the  first  of  the  civil  but  the  seventh  of  the  sacred 
year,  had  a  kind  of  Sabbatic  character  (Lev.  xxiii.  24).  The  calen- 
dar was  so  arranged  that  the  first  day  of  this  month  fell  on  a  Sabbath. 
This,  the  civil  New-Year's  day,  was  ushered  in  by  the  blowing  of 
trumpets,  and  hence  was  called  the  Feast  of  Trumpets.  It  was  a 
holy  convocation,  and  it  had  its  special  sacrifices  in  addition  to  those 
of  other  new  moons.  On  the  tenth  of  this  month,  ihe  great  Day  of 
Atonement  was  kept ;  and  from  the  fifteenth  to  the  twenty-second 
of  the  month,  thj  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  the  greatest  of  the  whole 
year,  was  celebrated.  All  the  great  festivals  were  observed  within  a 
Sabbatic  cycle  of  seven  months. 

4.  The  Sabbatical  Year.  As  each  seventh  day  and  each  sev- 
enth month  were  holy,  so  was  each  seventh  year.  As  the  land 
belonged  to  Jehovah,  so  also  was  it  to  keep  its  Sabbath  to  Him.  It 
was  to  be  a  season  of  rest  for  all,  and  of  especial  kindness  to  the 
poor.  The  land  was  not  to  be  sown,  nor  the  vineyards  and  olive- 
yards  dressed  ;  no  fruit  or  produce  of  any  kind  was  to  be  gathered 
from  the  soil,  but  all  was  to  be  left  for  the  poor,  the  slave,  the 
stranger,  and  the  cattle  (Exod.  xxiii.  10,  11).  The  Sabbatical  year 
is  also  called  the  "year  of  release,"  because  in  it  creditors  were 
bound  to  release  poor  debtors  from  their  obligations  (Dent.  xv.  1,  2). 
The  release  of  a  Hebrew  slave  took  place  likewise  in  this  year,  as 


104  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII. 

well  as  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  captivity  (Deut.  xv.  12-18).  Th«? 
observance  of  the  Sabbatical  year  was  neglected  from  the  very  first, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  national  sins  which  were  punished  by  the 
Babylonian  captivity. 

.  5.  The  Year  of  Jubilee  occurred  every  fiftieth  year,  coming, 
therefore,  after  a  series  of  seven  Sabbatic  years.  It  completed  each 
half-century.  Its  beginning  was  on  the  tenth  of  the  seventh  month 
(Tisri),  the  great  Day  of  Atonement.  After  the  sacrifices  of  that 
solemn  day  were  ended,  the  trumpet  of  jubilee  pealed  forth  its  joy- 
ful notes,  proclaiming  "liberty  to  the  captive,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  doors  to  those  that  were  bound."  The  land  was  left  uncul- 
tivated, as  in  the  Sabbatic  year.  The  possessions  which  poverty 
nsd  compelled  their  owners  to  alienate  returned  in  this  year  to  the 
families  to  whom  they  had  been  allotted  in  the  first  division  of  the 
Holy  Land.  The  whole  institution  was  based  on  the  principle  that 
the  laud  was  God's,  who  granted  to  each  family  its  own  portion. 
All  Hebrew  slaves,  whether  to  their  brethren  or  to  resident  for- 
eigners, were  set  free  in  the  Year  of  Jubilee.  Thus  the  same  prin- 
ciple was  asserted  as  in  the  restitution  of  the  land — that  the  people, 
like  the  soil,  belonged  to  God  ;  they  were  Kis  servants,  redeemed 
from  Egypt,  and  incapable  of  becoming  bondsmen  to  any  one  but 
Him.  The  Jubilee  completed  the  great  Sabbatic  cycle  of  years,  afc 
the  close  of  which,  in  a  certain  sense,  "all  things  were  made  new." 

ii.  THE  THREE  GREAT  HISTORICAL  FESTIVALS. 

In  these  the  whole  people  were  united  to  seek  the  face  of  God, 
and  to  celebrate  His  mercies.  Thrice  in  the  year,  at  these  three 
feasts,  all  males  were  required  to  appear  before  Jehovah  at  the 
tabernacle,  or  afterwards  at  the  temple — not  empty-handed,  but  to 
make  an  offering  with  a  joyful  heart  (Exod.  xxiii.  14-17).  No  age 
is  prescribed  :  Jesus  went  up  with  his  parents  to  the  Passover  at  the 
age  of  twelve  (Luke  ii.  42)  ;   Samuel  still  younger  (1  Sam.  i.  24). 

These  festivals  not  only  commemorated  great  events  in  the  history 
of  Israel,  but  each  of  them  had  its  own  special  significance.  The 
Passover  marked  the  beginning  of  the  harvest,  the  Pentecost  its 
completion,  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  the  vintage  and  the  in- 
gathering of  all  the  fruits  of  the  year.  They  were  connected  with 
one  another  so  as  to  form  one  great  cycle.  The  Passover  is  in  the 
first  month  of  the  sacred  year;  seven  weeks  afterwards  came  the 
Pentecost ;  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  the  seventh  month. 
At  the  Passover  the  Israelites  commemorated  the  beginning  of  their 
history  as  a  nation  ;  and  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  they  marked 
the  joyful  contrast  between  their  settlement  in  a  fruitful  laud  and 
theiv  wanderings  in  the  wilderness. 


Chap.  VII.  THE  PASSOVER.  105 

1.  The  Passover — which  was  the  most  solemn  of  the  :'.  ee  festi- 
vals, as  the  memorial  of  the  nation's  birth,  and  the  type  of  Christ's 
death — was  kept  for  seven  days,  from  the  evening  which  closed  the 
fourteenth  to  the  end  of  the  twenty-first  of  the  first  month  of  the 
sacred  year— Abib  or  Nisan  (April).  We  have  already  noticed  its 
first  institution  in  Egypt  (page  G5)  ;  but,  in  the  general  order  of  its 
observance  in  later  times,  some  particulars  were  added  which  do  not 
appear  in  its  original  institution,  thus  making  a  slight  distinction 
between  "the  Egyptian  Passover  "  and  "  the  Perpetual  Passover.'' 
The  latter  was  thus  observed  :  On  the  fourteenth  day  of  Nisan  every 
trace  of  leaven  was  put  away  out  of  t he  houses,  and  on  the  sarc-e  day 
every  male  Israelite  not  laboring  under  any  bodily  infirmity  or  cere- 
monial impurity  was  commanded  to  appear  before  the  Lord  at  the 
national  sanctuary  with  an  offering  of  money  in  proportion  to  his 
means  (Dent,  xvi.  16,  17).  As  the  sun  was  setting,  the  lambs  were 
slain  and  the  fat  and  the  blood  given  to  the  priests.  The  lamb  was 
then  roasted  whole,  and  eaten  with  unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs ; 
no  portion  of  it  was  to  be  left  until  the  morning.  The  same  night, 
after  the  fifteenth  of  Nisan  had  commenced,  the  fat  was  burned  by 
the  priest,  and  the  blood  sprinkled  on  the  altar.  On  the  fifteenth 
there  was  a  holy  convocation  ;  during  that  day  no  work  might  be 
done,  except  the  preparation  of  necessary  food.  On  the  sixteenth 
of  the  month — the  morrow  after  the  Sabbath—the  first  sheaf  of  the 
harvest  was  presented  and  waved  by  the  priest  before  the  LorJ,  and 
a  male  lamb  was  offered  as  a  burnt-sacrifice,  with  a  meat  and  drink 
offering.  Special  offerings,  in  addition  to  the  daily  sacrifice,  were 
made  throughout  the  whole  period.  On  the  seventh  day,  the  twenty- 
first  of  Nisan,  there  was  a  holy  convocation,  and  the  day  appears  to 
have  been  one  of  peculiar  solemnity.  As  at  all  the  festivals,  cheer- 
fulness was  to  prevail  during  the  whole  week,  and  all  care  was  to 
be  laid  aside.  In  later  times  the  Paschal  Lamb  was  eaten  without 
haste,  and  with  the  accompaniment  of  the  Ilallel,  or  singing  of 
Psalms  cxiii.-exviii.  (Matt.  xxvi.  30). 

The  Passover  has  the  profoundest  but  clearest  significance  of  any 
typical  rite.  In  its  primary  sense,  it  was  at  once  a  sacrifice,  in  which 
the  most  innocent  of  creatures  was  offered  as  an  expiation  for 
the  guilty,  a  feast  of  joy  for  their  deliverance,  but  also  their  last 
feast  in  Egypt,  eaten  with  bitter  herbs,  instead  of  the  savory  vege- 
tables they  were  so  fond  of,  and  in  the  attitude  and  haste  of  pil- 
grims. Its  perpetual  significance  is  summed  up  in  the  words 
"  Christ  ouk  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us  ;"'  who  was,  in  fact, 
put  to  death  at  the  very  season  of  the  Passover,  as  "a  lamb  without 
blemish  and  without  spot."2     The  unleavened  bread  indicates  the 

'  I  Cor.  v.  7.        2  1  Pet.  i.  19  ;  comp.  I^a.  liii.  7  ;  John  i.  29  ;  Arts  viii  32 


106  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII. 

sanctification,  meekness,  and  guileless  simplicity  of  the  true  be- 
liever;8 the  haste  and  attitude  of  a  traveller  are  emblems  of  the 
Christian  pilgrim  ;4  and  the  offering  of  the  Omer  was  the  type  of 
Him  who  died  and  rose  again,  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept.5 

2.  The  Pentecost,  or  Harvest-fkast,  or  Feast  of  Weeks,  may 
be  regarded  as  a  supplement  to  the  Passover.  It  lasted  for  only  one 
iay.  The  people,  having  at  the  Passover  presented  before  God  the 
first  sheaf  of  the  harvest,  departed  to  their  homes  to  gather  it  in, 
and  then  returned  to  keep  the  harvest-feast  before  Jehovah.  It  was 
kept  fifty  days  after  the  sixteenth  of  Nisan,  and  fell  about  the  end 
of  May.  The  intervening  period  included  the  whole  of  the  grain- 
harvest,  of  which  the  wheat  was  the  latest  crop.  The  Pentecost 
was  the  Jewish  harvest-home,  and  the  people  were  especially  ex- 
horted to  rejoice  before  Jehovah,  with  their  families,  their  servants, 
the  Levite  within  their  gates,  the  stranger,  the  fatherless,  and  the 
widow,  in  the  place  chosen  by  God  for  His  name,  as  they  brought  a 
free-will  offering  to  the  Lord  their  God  (Dent.  xvi.  9-12).  The 
great  feature  of  the  celebration  was  the  presentation  of  two  loaves, 
made  from  the  first-fruits  of  the  wheat  harvest,  and  leavened — that 
is,  in  the  state  fit  for  ordinary  food.  Till  the  Pentecostal  loaves 
were  offered,  the  produce  of  the  harvest  might  not  be  eaten,  nor 
could  any  other  first-fruits  be  offered.  The  whole  ceremony  was  the 
completion  of  that  dedication  of  the  harvest  to  God,  as  its  Giver, 
and  to  whom  both  the  land  and  the  people  were  holy,  which  was 
begun  by  the  offering  of  the  wave-sheaf  at  the  Passover. 

The  Pentecost  is  the  only  one  of  the  three  great  feasts  which 
does  not  commemorate  any  well-known  event  in  the  history  of  the 
Jews  ;  but  its  significance  has  been  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Law 
was  given  from  Sinai  on  the  fiftieth  day"  after  the  deliverance  from 
Egypt. 

In  the  Christian  Church  the  typical  significance  of  the  Pentecost 
is  made  clear  from  the  events  of  the  day  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  (Acts  ii.).  Just  as  the  appearance  of  God  on  Sinai  was 
the  birthday  of  the  Jewish  nation,  so  was  the  Pentecost  the  birthday 
of  the  Christian  Church.  It  has  been  observed  that  the  Pentecost 
was  the  last  Jewish  feast  that  Paul  was  anxious  to  keep  (1  Cor.  xvi. 
8),  and  that  Whitsuntide,  its  successor,  was  the  first  annual  festival 
adopted  in  the  Christian  Church. 

3.  The  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  or  Feast  of  Ingathering,  com- 
pleted the  round  of  the  annual  festivals,  and  was  celebrated  witli 

3  1  Cor.  v.  8.        4  Luke  xii.  35 ;  1  Pet.  i.  13  ;  ii.  11 ;  Eph.  v.  15 ;  Heb.  xi.  13. 

6  1  Cor.  xv.  20 ;  comp.  Rom.  viii.  23 ;  xi.  16  ;  James  i.  18;  Bev.  xiv.  4:  our 
Lord  rose  ou  the  same  Jewish  day  on  which  the  Omer  was  presented  in  the 
temple.  ''  Hence  its  Greek  name  Pentecost 


Chap.  VII.         THE  DAY  OF  ATONEMENT.  107 

great  rejoicings.  It  was  at  once  a  thanksgiving  for  the  harvest  and 
a  commemoration  of  the  time  when  the  Israelites  dwelt  in  tents 
during  their  passage  through  the  wilderness.  It  fell  in  the  autumn, 
when  the  whole  of  the  chief  fruits  of  the  ground — the  corn,  the  wine, 
and  the  oil — were  gathered  in.  Its  duration  was  strictly  only  seven 
days  (Deut.  xvi.  13),  but  it  was  followed  by  a  day  of  holy  convoca- 
tion. It  lasted  from  the  fifteenth  till  the  twenty-second  of  the  month 
Tisri.  During  the  seven  days  the  Israelites  were  commanded  to 
dwell  in  booths  or  huts  (tabernacles)  formed  of  the  boughs  of  trees, 
etc. 

iii.  THE  DAY  OF  ATONEMENT. 

The  Day  of  Atonement  is  the  one  single  fast,  or  day  of  humilia- 
tion, prescribed  by  the  Mosaic  law ;  whence  it  is  called  the  Fast 
(Acts  xxvii.  9).  It  was  observed  five  days  before  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles,  and  was  kept  as  a  most  solemn  Sabbath,  when  all 
must  abstain  from  work,  and  "afflict  their  souls,"  on  pain  of  being 
cut  off  from  among  the  people.  Its  ceremonies  signified  the  pub- 
lic humiliation  of  the  people  for  all  the  sins  of  the  past  year,  and 
the  remission  of  those  sins  by  the  atonement  which  the  high-priest 
made  within  the  vail,  whither  he  entered  on  this  day  only.  All 
the  sacrifices  of  the  day  were  performed  by  the  high-priest  himself 
(Lev.  xxiii.  26-32). 

The  victims  consisted  of  (i.)  a  young  bullock  for  a  sin-offering 
and  a  ram  for  a  burnt-offering,  for  the  high-priest  himself  and  his 
family  ;  and  (ii.)  a  ram  for  a  burnt-offering,  and  two  young  goats 
for  a  sin-offering,  for  the  people.  Presenting  the  two  goats  before 
Jehovah,  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  the  high-priest  cast  lots 
upon  them;  the  one  lot  being  inscribed  "for  Jehovah,"  the  other 
"for  Azazel."  The  latter  was  called  the  Scape-goat.  The  high- 
priest  first  offered  the  young  bullock  as  the  sin-offering  for  himself 
and  his  family.  Having  slain  it  at  the  altar,  he  took  some  of  its 
blood,  with  a  censer  filled  with  live  coals  from  the  altar,  and  a 
handful  of  incense,  and,  entering  into  the  most  holy  place,  he  threw 
the  incense  on  the  coals,  thus  enveloping  the  ark  in  a  fragrant 
cloud,  and  partially  shrouding  it  from  his  own  eyes  lest  he  should 
die  for  a  profanely  curious  gaze,  and  then  sprinkled  the  blood  seven 
times  before  the  mercy-seat. 

The  goat  "of  Jehovah"  was  then  slain  as  a  sin-offering  for  the 
people,  and  the  high-priest  again  went  into  the  most  holy  place 
and  performed  the  same  ceremonies  with  its  blood.  As  he  return- 
ed through  the  holy  place,  in  which  no  one  else  was  present,  he 
purified  it  by  sprinkling  some  of  the  blood  of  boUi  victims  on  the 
altar  of  incense.  This  completed  the  purification  of  the  sanctuary, 
the  second-stage  of  the  atonement. 


108  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII. 

Then  followed  the  remission  of  the  people's  sins  by  the  striking 
ceremony  of  devoting  the  Scape-goat,  the  one  on  which  the  lot  had 
fallen  ifor  Azazel."  The  high-priest  having  laid  his  hands  upon 
its  head,  and  confessed  over  it  the  sins  of  the  people,  the  victim, 
loaded,  as  it  were,  with  those  sins,  was  led  out,  by  a  man  chosen  for 
the  purpose,  to  the  wilderness,  into  "a  land  not  inhabited,"  and 
there  let  loose.  The  significance  of  this  type  of  the  true  atone- 
ment, not  by  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats,  but  by  the  precious  blood 
of  Christ  himself,  is  set  forth  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (chap, 
ix.,  x.). 

iv.  FESTIVALS  AFTER  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

1,  The  Feast  of  Purim,  or  of  Lots,  was  an  annual  festival 
instituted  to  commemorate  the  preservation  of  the  Jews  in  Persia 
from  the  massacre  with  which  they  were  threatened  through  the 
machinations  of  Hainan  (Esther  ix.  24). 

2.  The  Fkast  of  Dedication  was  the  festival  instituted  to  com- 
memorate the  purging  of  the  temple  and  the  rebuilding  of  the  altar 
after  Judas  Maccabaeus  had  driven  out  the  Syrians,  B.C.  164.  It 
is  named  only  once  in  the  Canonical  Scriptures  (John  x.  22). 


SECTION  VII. 

LAWS,   POLITICAL,   CIVIL,    AND  CRIMINAL. 

The  political  condition  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth,  as  we  have 
seen,  is  founded  entirely  upon  a  religious  basis.  In  its  form  it  is, 
so  to  say,  a  monarchy,  with  Jehovah  for  its  unseen  king,  all  magis- 
trates and  judges  being  His  ministers;  but  in  its  substance  and 
spirit  it  is  a  commonwealth  in  the  strict  sense,  the  whole  people 
enjoying  equal  rights,  as  being  all  the  children  of  God,  and  united 
together  by  the  bond  of  holiness. 

In  the  first  stage  of  their  history,  when  they  left  Egypt,  they 
could  not  be  called  a  nation  in  the  political  sense,  but  a  body  of 
tribes,  the  main  bond  of  union  between  them  being  the  "promise 
given  to  the  fathers."  Each  of  these  tribes  bad  its  own  patriarchal 
government  by  the  "princes"  of  the  tribe,  and  the  "heads"  of 
the  respective  families,  but  no  central  government  was  as  yet  pro- 
vided. God  kept  that  in  his  own  hands,  and  committed  its  ad- 
ministration to  Moses  as  His  servant.  The  people  were  all  collect- 
ed in  one  encampment  around  the  tabernacle  of  Jehovah,  their 
ever-present  king.  They  were  commanded  by  His  voice;  their 
movements  were  guided  by  His  visible  signs. 


Chap.  VII.  POLITICAL  LAWS.  109 

In  the  second  stage  of  their  history — their  first  settlement  in 
Canaan — the  constitution  was  essentially  the  same.  Jehovah  was 
still  their  king,  present  in  His  tabernacle  to  exercise  the  supreme 
government,  and  to  give  oracles  for  all  doubtful  cases,  and  commit- 
ting the  executive  power  to  Joshua,  who  is  distinctly  recognized  as 
the  successor  of  Moses,  only  he  was  a  military  leader  instead  of  a 
lawgiver.  'She  judges  were  temporary  and  special  deliverers,  sent 
by  God  to  meet  special  emergencies,  not  supreme  magistrates  suc- 
ceeding to  the  authority  of  Moses  and  Joshua.  During  the  admin 
istration  of  Samuel  as  judge  and  prophet,  the  people  at  length  de- 
manded a  king,  after  the  pattern  of  the  surrounding  nations. 

The  demand  was  treated  as  an  act  of  treason  to  Jehovah,  who 
punished  it  by  granting  such  a  king  as  they  desired.  The  govern- 
ment of  Saul  was  an  experiment,  in  which  the  self-will  of  the  king 
was  forever  asserting  itself  against  Jehovah's  supreme  authority. 
When  the  monarchy  of  the  people's  own  choice  was  cast  down  by 
the  death  of  Saul,  God  found  "David,  the  son  of  Jesse,  a  man  after 
God's  own  heart."  His  elevation  to  the  throne  marks  the  establish- 
ment of  the  true  Hebrew  monarchy,  in  which  the  king  acknowledged 
himself  the  servant  of  Jehovah  and  guardian  of  His  law,  and  sub- 
mitted to  guidance  and  rebuke  by  the  prophets.  This  government 
was  instituted  in  condescension  to  the  wants  of  the  people,  and  was 
designed  to  reconcile  the  visible  rule  of  a  man  with  the  supreme 
authority  of  the  unseen  God.  The  kingdom  of  Israel  afterwards 
broke  out  into  open  rebellion  against  Jehovah,  checked,  however,  by 
the  prophets,  and  especially  by  Elijah  and  Elisha  ;  but  the  kingdom 
of  Judah  preserved  the  profession  of  godliness,  and  its  true  spirit 
was  from  time  to  time  revived  by  such  kings  as  Hezekiah  and  Josiah. 

The  positive  law  of  the  kingdom  was  summed  up  in  the  one 
great  duty  of  governing  according  to  the  law  of  God,  of  which  the 
king  was  to  write  out  a  copy  in  a  book,  and  read  therein  all  the 
days  of  his  life.  From  the  first,  the  king  assumed  judicial  power, 
and  his  authority  extended  even  to  the  deposition  of  the  high-priest 
(I  Kings  ii.  27).  In  religious  matters  he  might  guide  the  nation, 
as  in  building  and  dedicating  the  temple  and  sacrificing  burnt-offer- 
ings ;  but  he  was  not  permitted  to  enter  the  sanctuary. 

The  Princes  of  the  Congregation,  or  heads  of  tribes,  seem  to  have 
always  retained  a  certain  power  in  the  state.  In  the  old  patriarch" 
a!  times  justice  was  administered,  as  among  the  Arabs  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  by  the  heads  of  houses  or  patriarchal  seniors.  Their  au- 
thority was  superseded  by  the  mission  of  .Moses,  for  justice  was  re- 
garded as  proceeding  from  Cod  himself.  The  supreme  judicial  au- 
thority was  afterwards  vested  in  the  high-priest,  and  under  the 
monarchy  in  the  king. 


110  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VII 

The  principles  of  the  Civil  Law  of  Moses  are  based  on  the  relig- 
ious position  of  the  people,  as  the  holy  children  of  God  and  breth- 
ren to  one  another.  Its  chief  provisions  may  be  classified  as  fol- 
lows : 

i.  The  Law  of  Persons.  The  power  of  a  father  over  his  children 
was  to  be  held  sacred — cursing  or  smiting  a  parent,  or  stubborn  dis- 
obedience, were  considered  capital  crimes  (Exod.  xxi.  15-17).  The 
first-born  son  was  to  have  a  double  portion  of  his  father's  inher- 
itance (Dent.  xxi.  17).  In  default  of  sons,  a  man's  possessions 
might  pass  to  his  daughters,  provided  that  they  married  in  their 
own  tribe  (Numb,  xxvii.  6-8 ;  comp.  chap,  xxxvi.).  Unmarried 
daughters  were  to  be  entirely  dependent  upon  their  father. 

The  power  of  the  husband  over  the  wife  was  so  great  that  she 
could  never  be  independent.  Marriage  within  certain  degrees  was 
forbidden  (Lev.  xviii.).  The  relations  between  masters  and  slaves 
were  so  far  limited  that  if  a  slave  died  under  actual  chastisement 
the  master  was  punishable  (Exod.  xxi.  20);  and  if  maimed,  the 
slave  was  to  be  set  at  liberty.  A  Hebrew  slave  was  to  be  freed  at 
the  Sabbatical  year,  unless  by  his  own  formal  act  he  consented  to 
be  a  perpetual  slave  (Exod.  xxi.  1-6).  In  any  case  he  was  to  be 
freed  at  the  Jubilee,  with  his  children  (Lev.  xxv.  10).  Foreign 
slaves  were  to  be  held  and  inherited  as  property  forever  (Lev.  xxv. 
45,  46). 

ii.  The  Law  of  Things.  All  land  was  regarded  as  the  property 
of  God  alone,  and  its  holders  were  deemed  His  tenants.  All  sold 
land  was  therefore  to  return  to  its  original  owners  at  the  Jubilee, 
and  the  price  of  the  sale  was  to  be  calculated  accordingly.  A  house 
sold  was  to  be  redeemable  within  a  year,  and  if  not  so  redeemed  to 
pass  away  altogether  (Lev.  xxv.  29,  30).  But  the  houses  of  the 
Levites  were  redeemable  at  all  times  in  the  same  way  as  land. 

All  debts  to  an  Israelite  were  to  be  released  at  the  seventh  yearv 
and  usury  was  not  to  be  taken,  nor  pledges  ruinously  exacted  (Deut. 
xxiii.  19,"  20). 

Tithes  of  all  produce  were  to  be  given  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  Levites  (Numb,  xviii.  20-24).  First-fruits  of  corn,  wine,  and 
oil  were  to  be  offered  every  year  at  Jerusalem,  with  a  solemn  dec^ 
laration  of  dependence  on  God  the  King  of  Israel. 

As  to  the  Criminal  Law,  offenses  against  God  are  prohibited  in 
the  first  four  Commandments.  The  first  forbids  the  acknowledge 
ment  of  false  gods,  and  generally  of  all  idolatry  ;  the  second  com. 
prebends  witchcraft  and  false  prophecy;  the  third,  blasphemy;  the 
fourth,  Sabbath-breaking  (Numb.  xv.  32-36). 

Offenses  against  man  are  summed  up  in  the  following  Command, 
ments  r   Under  the  fifth  are  included  disobedience  to  parents  and 


Ciiai>.  VII.       CIVIL  AND  CRIMINAL  LAWS. 


Ill 


to  the  priests  ;  under  the  sixth,  murder,  whether  intentional  or 
otherwise;  under  the  seventh,  adultery,  as  well  as  unlawful  inter- 
course of  all  kinds  ;  under  the  eighth,  theft,  trespass,  perversion  of 
justice,  and  kidnapping  ;  under  the  ninth,  false  witness  ;  and  under 
;he  tenth,  the  sin  of  coveting. 


&  SocTed  Egyptian  boat  or  ark,  with  two  figures,  perhaps  resembling  chi/ubisa. 


Jericho. 


Chapter  viii. 

THE    CONQUKST    AND    DIVISION    OF    THE    HOLT    LAND. — 
B.C. 1451-1426. 

Moses  the  lawgiver  was  succeeded  by  Joshua,  the  military 
chief,  who  was  to  lead  the  people  into  their  inheritance,  and  to  give 
them  "rest."  He  was  the  son  of  Nun,  of  the  tribe  ofEphraim. 
His  name  at  first  was  Oshea  {help,  or  Saviour),  which,  by  prefixing 
the  name  of  Jehovah,  Moses  changed  to  Joshua,  that  is,  God  is 
the  Saviour.  He  was  probably  at  this  time  about  eighty  years  old. 
He  had  grown  up  to  mature  age  in  the  state  of  Egyptian  bondage: 
he  had  shared  the  experience  and  the  trials  of  the  wilderness  as  the 
chosen  servant  of  Moses  ;  had  proved  his  military  capacity  in  the 
conquest  of  the  land  east  of  Jordan,  and  his  steadfast  obedience  at 


B.C.  1451-1426.  JOSHUA.  113 

Kadesh,  when  he  stood  alone  with  Caleb :  and  he  lived  for  about 
twenty-five  years  more  to  finish  his  allotted  work.  These  three 
periods  of  his  life  thus  embrace  the  whole  history  of  the  moulding 
of  the  nation.  His  character  was  in  accordance  with  his  career :  a 
devout  warrior,  blameless  and  fearless,  who  combines  strength  with 
gentleness,  ever  looking  up  for  and  obeying  the  Divine  impulse 
with  the  simplicity  of  a  child  ;  he  is  one  of  the  very  few  worthies 
of  the  Old  Testament  on  whose  character  there  is  no  stain. 

At  the  death  of  Moses,  t  he  Israelites  were  encamped  in  the  plains 
of  Moab,  with  the  river  Jordan  before  them ;  and  there  they  re- 
mained till  the  mourning  for  their  great  prophet  was  over.  Then 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Joshua  and  commanded  him  to  lead  the  peo- 
ple over  Jordan,  giving  him  a  promise  of  his  continued  presence, 
"As  I  was  with  Moses  so  I  will  be  with  thee."  Joshua  prepared 
the  host  against  the  third  day,  and  summoned  the  two  tribes  and  a 
half  to  perform  their  promise  of  marching  in  the  van  (Numb,  xxxii.). 
Jericho  was  to  be  the  first  object  of  attack  ;  and  he  at  once  sent  two 
men  to  spy  out  the  country.  This  great  city  stood  in  a  spacious 
plain  about  six  miles  west  of  Jordan,  and  opposite  to  the  camp  of 
Israel,  in  the  midst  of  a  grove  of  noble  palm-trees,  whence  it  was 
called  "  Jericho,  the  city  of  palms."  It  was  strongly  fortified  and 
well  guarded,  the  gates  being  shut  at  night.  The  mention  of 
houses  on  the  walls  indicates  the  solidity  of  the  walls  themselves 
(Josh.  ii.  15). 

The  two  spies  were  received  into  one  of  these  houses  by  a  harlot 
named  Rahab,  who,  having  heard  all  that  the  Lord  had  done  for 
the  Israelites,  had  come  to  believe  in  Him  as  the  God  of  heaven  and 
earth,  and  in  His  purpose  to  give  them  the  land.  In  this  faith  she 
hid  the  spies,  and  misdirected  their  pursuers ;  and  then  let  them 
down  from  a  window  of  her  house  over  the  city  wall,  after  they  had 
sworn  to  save  her  family  in  the  destruction  of  the  city.  It  was 
agreed  between  them  that  she  should  hang  a  scarlet  thread  out  of 
her  window  as  a  sign  by  which  the  house  was  to  be  known.  The 
spies  fled  to  the  mountain  for  three  days  till  the  pursuit  was  over, 
and  then  recrossed  the  Jordan  and  returned  to  Joshua  with  the  re- 
port that  the  Lord  had  delivered  all  the  land  into  their  hands,  for 
all  the  inhabitants  were  fainting  with  fear  because  of  them  (Josh, 
ii.  12-24). 

The  next  morning  Joshua  broke  up  the  camp  at  Shittim,  and 
moved  down  to  the  edge  of  the  Jordan,  which  at  this  season  (April) 
was  swollen,  and  overflowed  its  banks  in  consequence  of  the  melting 
of  the  snow  about  its  sources  in  the  Anti-Libanus.  On  the  third 
day  after,  the  officers  went  through  the  host  and  instructed  the  peo- 
ple in  the  order  of  their  march.      The  priests  bearing  the  ark  began 


114  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VIII. 

the  procession,  and  as  soon  as  their  feet  were  dipped  in  the  watei 
the  river  was  divided,  the  waters  that  came  down  from  above  being 
heaped  up  as  a  wall,  and  the  rest  flowing  down  towards  the  Dead 
Sea,  leaving  the  channel  bare.  The  priests  advanced  into  the  midst 
of  the  river's  bed  with  the  ark,  and  there  stood  firm  till  all  the  peo- 
ple had  passed  over.  Meanwhile,  twelve  chosen  men,  one  from 
each  tribe,  took  twelve  stones  from  the  spot  where  the  priests  stood 
firm,  and  brought  them  out  of  the  river.  At  the  same  time,  they 
took  twelve  other  stones,  and  formed  a  heap  with  them  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  river  as  a  sign  to  the  children  of  Israel.  When  all  this  was 
done,  Joshua  commanded  the  priests  to  come  out  of  Jordan,  and 
the  moment  that  their  feet  rested  upon  the  dry  land,  the  waters  of 
the  river  returned  and  flowed  over  the  banks  as  before  (Josh.  iv.  18). 

The  host  encamped  that  night  at  Gilgal,  in  the  plains  of  Jericho, 
and  there  Joshua  set  up  the  twelve  stones  that  had  been  brought 
out  of  the  river's  bed,  for  a  perpetual  memorial  of  the  passage  of 
the  Jordan,  just  as  the  Red  Sea  had  been  divided  to  let  them  pass 
out  of  Egypt. 

The  passage  of  the  Jordan  was  completed  on  the  tenth  day  of 
the  first  month  (Nisan  =  April,  b.c.  1451).  This  was  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  selection  of  the  Paschal  Lamb;  and  on  the  evening 
of  the  fourteenth  the  people  kept  the  Passover  for  the  first  time  on 
the  sacred  soil  of  their  inheritance,  exactly  forty  years  after  their 
fathers  had  first  kept  it  when  they  were  leaving  Egypt.  But  first 
God  commanded  Joshua  to  circumcise  the  people,  for  the  circum- 
cised generation  who  had  left  Egypt  had  died  in  the  wilderness. 
The  name  of  the  place  where  this  was  done  was  called  GilgaJ,  that 
is,  rolling,  because  of  the  rolling  away  of  their  reproach  (Josh.  v.  9). 

Here,  on  the  morrow  after  the  Passover,  the  new  generation 
tasted  bread  for  the  first  time.  They  ate  unleavened  bread  and 
parched  corn  of  the  old  crop  of  the  land,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
manna  ceased.  From  that  clay  forward  they  began  to  eat  the  fruits 
of  the  year. 

As  Joshua  was  meditating  how  to  attack  Jericho,  a  vision  was 
vouchsafed  to  him  to  teach  him  that  the  work  was  God's.  Looking 
up  towards  the  city,  "behold  there  stood  a  man  over  against  him 
with  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand."  "Art  thou  for  us,"  said  Joshua, 
"or  for  our  adversaries?"  "Nay,"  he  replied,  "but  as  captain 
of  the  Lord's  host  am  I  now  come"  (Josh.  v.  14).  This  title,  so 
often  afterwards  applied  to  the  Son  of  God,  revealed  him  to  Joshua, 
who  fell  down  on  his  face  to  the  earth  to  worship.  "  What  saith 
my  Lord  to  his  servant?"  "  Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot,"  he 
replied,  "  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy."  He  then 
foretold  the  miraculous  conquest  of  Jericho,  and  gave  Joshua  direc- 


B.C.  1451-1426.     CAPTURE  OF  JERICHO.  115 

tions  as  to  the  manner  of  its  capture.  The  host  were  to  compass 
the  city  for  seven  days;  the  circuit  was  to  he  repeated  once  a  day 
for  the  first  six  days,  and  on  the  seventh  day  seven  times.  The 
chosen  warriors  were  to  march  in  front  of  the  ark,  immediately  be- 
fore which  seven  priests,  bearing  seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns, 
were  to  pass  on  round  the  city,  blowing  with  their  trumpets  a  con- 
tinued defiance.  So  they  did  six  days.  On  the  seventh  day  at 
dawn  they  began  to  compass  the  city  seven  times ;  at  the  seventh, 
the  trumpets  pealed  forth  one  loud  blast,  the  people  raised  a  great 
shout,  the  wall  of  the  city  fell  down  flat,  and  each  man  rushed  in 
straight  from  the  place  where  he  had  stood,  as  Joshua  had  com- 
manded. Before  its  capture,  the  city,  with  all  its  inhabitants,  was 
"accursed"  or  "devoted"  as  the  first-fruits  of  the  spoil  of  Canaan. 
Only  Bahab  and  her  household,  because  she  hid  the  spies,  were  ex- 
cepted from  the  curse.  Then  the  men  and  women,  young  and  old, 
oxen  and  sheep  and  asses,  were  utterly  destroyed ;  the  city  was 
burnt  with  fire ;  but  the  silver  and  gold  and  vessels  of  brass  and 
iron  were  placed  in  the  sacred  treasury;  and  Joshua  adjured  a  sol- 
emn curse  upon  the  man  who  should  rebuild  Jericho  (Josh.  vi.). 

The  blessing  which  followed  Rahab  for  her  conduct  is  recorded 
as  the  greatest  example  of  f<tith,  and  of  the  works  which  spring  from 
faith  in  the  old  heathen  world  (Heb.  xi.  31).  She  was  rewarded 
by  a  most  distinguished  place  among  the  families  of  Israel.  She 
married  Salmon,  and  became  the  mother  of  Boaz,  the  great-grand- 
father of  David.  Hers  is  thus  one  of  the  four  female  names,  all  of 
them  foreigners,  recorded  in  the  genealogy  of  Christ. 

There  was,  however,  one  man  among  the  Israelites  whose  lust  of 
spoil  made  him  unfaithful.  His  act  brought  a  curse  upon  all  Israel, 
so  that  they  failed  in  their  next  enterprise,  the  attack  on  Ai.  It 
was  expected  that  it  would  be  easily  conquered,  and  only  3000  men 
were  told  off  to  take  it;  but  they  were  repulsed  with  the  loss  of 
thirty-six  men  (Josh.  vii.  5).  Whereupon  the  hearts  of  the  people 
melted,  and  Joshua,  with  all  the  elders  of  Israel,  fell  upon  their 
faces  before  the  ark  as  mourners.  Joshua  was  then  told  that  Israel 
had  sinned  in  taking  of  the  accursed  thing  and  concealing  it  among 
their  goods,  and  he  was  commanded  to  sanctify  the  people  against 
the  morrow,  and  to  cast  lots  for  the  offender,  who  was  to  be  slain 
and  burnt,  with  all  belonging  to  him.  The  lot  ultimately  fell  upon 
Achan,  the  son  of  Carmi.  He  confessed  that  he  had  taken  from 
the  spoil  of  Jericho  a  goodly  Babylonish  garment,  two  bundled 
shekels  of  silver,  and  a  wedge  of  gold  fifty  shekels'  weight,  and  had 
hid  them  in  the  earth  in  his  tent,  where  they  were  found  by  men 
sent  by  Joshua.  The  offender  was  stoned  and  afterwards  burned, 
with   his  children,  his  cattle,  and   his  tent;  and  a  great  heap  of 


116  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VIII 

stones  was  raised  over  them  to  mark  the  place,  which  received  the 
name  of  Achor  {trouble)  (Josh.  vii.).  His  case  is  a  striking  ex- 
ample of  the  effect  of  sin,  as  involving  the  ruin  of  the  guiltless  ; 
"That  man  perished  not  alone  in  his  iniquity"  (Josh.  xxii.  20). 

Joshua  now  formed  another  plan  for  taking  Ai,  which  met  with 
complete  success.  The  city  was  destroyed  with  all  its  inhabitants, 
and  the  King  of  Ai  was  hanged  on  a  tree.  This  victory  secured  the 
passes  from  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  and  gave  the  Israelites  access 
to  the  open  country  in  the  centre  of  Palestine.  Joshua  now  marched 
to  Shechem,  where  lie  heid  the  solemn  ceremony  of  the  blessing 
and  the  curse  on  Mounts  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  as  enjoined  by  Moses 
(Josh.  viii.  30-35).  The  above  events  form  the  first  stage  in  the 
conquest  of  Canaan. 

A  -great  league  was  now  formed  by  all  the  kings  west  of  the 
Jordan,  in  the  hills,  the  valleys,  and  the  sea-coasts,  as  far  north  as 
Lebanon,  against  the  Israelites.  The  people  of  Gibeon  alone  sought 
for  peace  by  a  curious  artifice.  Their  city —  a  royal  city- — greater 
than  Ai,  lying  immediately  opposite  the  Pass  of  Ai,  and  at  the  head 
of  the  Pass  of  Beth-horon,  would  have  been  the  next  object  of  the 
attack  of  the  Israelites.  Assuming  the  appearance  of  wayworn 
travellers,  with  old  shoes  and  old  sacks,  rent  and  patched  wine-skins, 
and  dry  and  mouldy  bread,  an  embassy  of  the  Gibeonitcs  went  to 
Joshua  at  Gilgal  and  declared  that  they  had  come  from  a  far  country, 
where  they  had  heard  of  the  name  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  all  that 
He  had  done  in  Egypt,  to  seek  for  a  league  with  His  people.  The 
trick  imposed  upon  Joshua  and  upon  the  princes  of  the  congrega- 
tion, who  omitted  to  ask  counsel  of  the  Lord.  They  made  peace 
with  the  Gibeonites,  and  swore  to  them  by  the  Lord  to  save  their 
lives.  Three  days  afterwards,  the  Israelites  readied  their  cities  and 
learned  the  truth.  The  oath,  however,  was  held  sacred  in  spite  of 
the  murmurs  of  the  congregation  ;  but  to  punish  their  deceit,  Joshua 
put  the  Gibeonites  under  a  curse,  and  made  them  bondmen,  and 
employed  them  as  "hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water"  for  the 
house  of  God  forever  (Josh.  ix.). 

When  Adoni-zedec,  king  of  Jerusalem,  heard  that  the  Gibeon- 
ites had  made  peace  with  Israel,  he  made  a  league  with  the  kings  of 
Hebron,  Jarmuth,  Lachish,  and  Eglon,  and  laid  siege  to  Gibeon. 
The  Gibeonites  -sent  for  help  to  Joshua,  who  marched  all  night  from 
the  camp  at  Gilgal,  took  the  confederated  Amorites  by  surprise,  and 
utterly  routed  them  near  Beth-horon  (Josh.  x.  10).  As  they  fled 
down  this  steep  pass,  the  Canaanites  were  overtaken  by  a  miracu- 
lous hail-storm,  which  slew  more  than  had  perished  by  the  sword 
It  was  then  that  Joshua,  after  a  prayer  to  the  Lord,  who  had  prom- 
ised him  this  great  victory,  said,  in  the  siglit  of  Israel : 


B.C.  1451-142G.    SLAUGHTER  OF  THE  KINGS.  117 

"Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon ; 
And  thou,  Moon,  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon."1 

And  the  sun  stood  still  and  the  moon  stayed  until  the  people  had 
avenged  themselves  of  their  enemies.  The  miraculous  prolongation 
of  the  daylight  enabled  Joshua  to  continue  his  pursuit  to  Makke- 
dah,  a  place  in  the  maritime  plain,  where  the  five  kings  had  hidden 
themselves  in  a  cave  (Josh.  x.  1(J).  Bidding  the  people  roll  great 
stones  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  and  set  a  watch  over  it,  Joshua 
pressed  the  rear  of  the  fugitives,  and  made  a  very  great  slaughter 
of  the  enemy.  The  rest  that  remained  entered  into  fenced  cities. 
All  the  people  then  returned  to  Joshua  at  Makkedah  in  peace. 

The  five  kings  were  now  brought  forth  from  the  cave,  and  Joshua 
sent  for  all  the  captains  of  his  host,  and  said,  "Come  near,  put 
your  feet  upon  the  necks  of  these  kings."  Then  he  slew  them, 
and  hanged  them  on  five  trees  until  the  evening.  When  the  sun 
went  down,  their  bodies  were  cast  into  the  cave  where  they  had  hid 
themselves,  and  its  mouth  was  closed  with  great  stones.  And  so 
the  clay  closed,  "  like  which  there  was  none  before  or  after,  that  the 
Lord  hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  a  man,  for  the  Lord  fought  for 
Israel"  (Josh.  x.  14). 

This  great  battle  was  followed  by  the  conquest  of  the  seven  kings 
of  Makkedah,  Libnah,  Lachish,  Gezer,  Eglon,  Hebron,  and  Debir, 
whose  cities  were  utterly  destroyed,  with  all  their  inhabitants,  as 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel  commanded.  In  this  one  campaign  Joshua 
subdued  the  southern  half  of  Palestine,  and  he  then  led  hack  the 
people  to  the  camp  at  Gilgal  (Josh.  x.  -10-43). 

Our  attention  must  now  be  turned  to  the  North,  the  country 
about  the  Sea  of  Chinneroth  (or  Galilee),  the  upper  Jordan,  and 
the  bases  of  Mount  Lebanon.  A  new  league  was  formed  against 
the  Hebrews  by  the  people  of  the  North,  at  the  instigation  of  Jabin, 
king  of  Ilazor.  They  assembled  their  forces  together — as  the  sand 
upon  the  sea-shore  in  multitude — with  horses  and  chariots  very 
many,  and  pitched  their  tents  at  the  Waters  of  Merom,  to  fight 
against  Israel.  But  the  Lord  delivered  them  into  the  baud  of 
Joshua,  who  smote  them  until  none  were  left  remaining.  In  an- 
other engagement,  he  took  Ilazor,  putting  its  king  and  all  its  in- 
habitants to  the  sword.  As  the  result  of  this  third  campaign,  Is- 
rael became  master  of  the  whole  land,  from  Mount  Halak  (t!,e 
smooth  mountain),  at  the  ascent  to  Mount  Seir,  on  the  south,  to  Baal- 
gad,  under  Mount  Hermon,  on  the  north  (Josh.  xi.  17).  Many  of 
the  old  inhabitants,  however,  in  different  parts,  held  out  much  long- 
er. It  was  nearly  six  years  before  the  land  rested  from  war  (i:.<  . 
'44r>).     Jerusalem,  for  example,  was  not  taken  till  after  the  deatlj 

1  Joshua  x.  12, 


118  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chai».  VIII. 

of  Joshua  (Judg.  i.  8)  ;  and  its  citadel  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Jebusites  till  the  time  of  David. 

The  results  of  the  whole  conquest  are  summed  up  in  the  sub- 
jugation of  thirty-one  kings  of  cities  on  the  west  of  the  Jordan,  be- 
longing to  the  seven  nations  which  had  been  mentioned  in  the  first 
promise  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xv.  19-21).  Special  notice  is  taken  of 
the  extermination  of  the  giant  Anakim,  who  had  struck  such  terror 
into  the  spies,  and  who  were  left  only  in  the  Philistine  cities  of 
Gaza,  Gath,  and  Ashdod.  Whole  tracts  of  country,  however,  re- 
mained yet  to  be  subdued  within  the  limits  which  God  had  origi- 
nally named,  and  which  lie  now  once  more  promised.  These 
were,  speaking  generally,  the  lowlands  along  the  Mediterranean, 
the  coasts  of  Phoenicia,  and  the  ranges  of  Lebanon.  These  con- 
quests were  not  reserved  for  Joshua,  who  was  now  "old  and  strick- 
en in  years,"  but  he  was  commanded  to  include  them  in  the  divis- 
ion of  the  land. 

Joshua  now  proceeded  to  divide  the  land  by  lot  among  the  nine 
tribes  and  a  half,  the  other  two  and  a  half  having  already  received 
their  allotment  from  Moses  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan.  To  the 
Levitcs  he  gave  no  inheritance  among  their  brethren,  because  the 
Lord  was  their  inheritance  (Josh.  xiii.  14).  Their  withdrawal 
from  the  number  of  the  tribes  was  supplied  by  the  division  of  the 
tribe  of  Joseph  into  the  two  tribes  of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh. 
The  territories  of  the  twelve  tribes  were  as  follows  : 

On  the  east  of  Jordan — 

(i.)  Reuben  lay  the  farthest  south  ;  their  southern  boundary  be- 
ing the  Anion,  and  their  northern  a  little  above  the  latitude  of 
Jericho. 

(ii.)  Gad  came  next,  possessing  Mount  Gilead  and  half  of  Am 
mon.     On  the  side  of  the  Jordan,  their  northern  border  just  touch- 
ed the  sea  of  Chinneroth.     The  Jabbok  divided  their  territory  into 
two  nearly  equal  parts. 

(iii.)  The  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  had  all  the  kingdom  of  Og, 
King  of  Bashan,  and  reached  to  the  base  of  Mount  Hermon  on  the 
north. 

These  allotments  are  expressly  mentioned  as  having  been  made 
by  Moses. 

The  division  of  the  land  among  the  nine  and  a  half  tribes  west 
of  Jordan  was  made  by  Eleazar  the  high-priest  and  Joshua,  with 
"  the  heads  of  the  fathers  of  the  tribes,"  by  a  solemn  lot,  cast  before 
Jehovah. 

(iv.)  Jcdah  seems  to  have  had  the  first  share,  in  consequence  of 
Caleb's  laying  claim  to  Hebron,  the  special  inheritance  promised  by 
Moses  as  the  reward  of  his  fidelity.     The  Dead  Sea  formed  their 


B.C.  1451-1426.    ALLOTMENTS  OF  THE  TRIBES.  119 

east  coast;  the  northern  border  reached  as  high  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Jordan  ;  on  the  west  it  skirted  the  laud  of  the  Philistines  and 
touched  the  Mediterranean,  and  on  the  south  it  stretched  across  the 
wilderness  to  "  the  river  of  Egypt." 

(v.  and  vi.)  The  tribe  of  Joseph,  in  its  twofold  division  of 
Ephraim  and  Manassch,  had  the  centre  of  the  land,  across  from 
Jordan  to  the  Mediterranean.  Ephraim  lay  north  of  Judah,  but 
between  them  were  the  districts  afterwards  allotted  to  Benjamin 
and  Dan.  Manasseh,  in  addition  to  the  land  of  Bashan  and  Gilead 
east  of  the  Jordan,  had  a  lot  on  the  western  side,  north  of  Ephraim. 
A.t  a  later  period,  (Samaria  was  built  upon  their  territory. 

The  encampment  at  Gilgal  remained  for  a  long  time  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Israelites,  but  at  length  they  removed  to  Shii.oh, 
south  of  Shechem,  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim,  and  there  they  set 
up  the  tabernacle,  where  it  remained  till  the  time  of  Samuel. 
There  were  still  seven  tribes  that  had  not  received  their  inherit- 
ance. Now,  however,  three  men  were  appointed  from  each  tribe  to 
make  a  survey  of  the  rest  of  the  land,  and  to  divide  it  into  seven 
portions.  When  this  was  finished,  Joshua  cast  lots  for  the  seven 
portions  before  the  tabernacle  in  Sliiloh  (Josh,  xviii.  1-10).  Tho 
result  was  as  follows  : 

(vi.)  Benjamin  had  the  eastern  part  of  the  territory  that  lay 
between  Judah  and  Ephraim,  embracing  the  plain  of  Jericho  and 
the  northern  highlands  of  the  later  Judaea. 

(vii.)  Simeon  had  an  inheritance  taken  out  of  the  portion  al- 
ready allotted  to  Judah,  for  whom  it  was  found  to  be  too  large, 
namely  the  south-western  part  of  the  maritime  plain,  with  the  land 
bordering  on  the  desert  as  far  eastward  as  Beersheba. 

(viii.)  Zebultjn  received  the  mountain  range  which  forms  the 
northern  border  of  the  great  plain  of  Jczreel  or  Esdraelon,  between 
the  eastern  slopes  of  Carmel,  on  the  west,  and  the  south-west  shore 
of  the  sea  of  Chinneroth  and  the  course  of  the  Jordan  on  the  east. 

(ix.)  Issachae's  inheritance  corresponded  almost  exactly  to  the 
great  plain  of  Jezieel  or  Esdraelon,  just  mentioned.  The  territory 
seems  to  have  been  taken  out  of  that  of  Manasseh,  as  Simeon's  was 
out  of  Judah. 

(x.)  Asiikk  had  the  rich  maritime  plain  extending  from  Mount 
Carmel  to  "  great  Sidon  "  and  "  the  strong  city  Tyre/' 

(xi.)  N.vphtali.  the  most  powerful  of  the  northern  tribes,  obtained 
the  highlands  which  form  the  southern  prolongation  of  the  range  of 
Lebanon. 

(xii.)  Dan  had  at  first  a  very  small  territory,  north-west  of  Ju- 
dah, almost  entirely  occupied  by  the  Philistines.  Because  they 
found  their  lot  too  small  for  them,  they  made  an  expedition  against 


120  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  VIII 

Laish,  in  the  extreme  north  of  the  land,  at  the  sources  of  the  Jordan. 
They  took  the  city  and  destroyed  the  inhabitants. 

Lastly,  Joshua  himself  received,  as  his  personal  inheritance,  the 
place  he  asked  for,  namely,  Timnath-Serah,  in  Mount  Ephraim, 
and  he  built  the  city  of  that  name. 

The  possessions  of  each  tribe  were  proportional  to  the  number  of 
its  families,  as  a  general  ride.  But  the  great  preponderance  of 
Judah  and  Joseph  is  explained  by  their  respective  pre-eminence  as 
the  prince  and  heir  of  the  whole  family. 

Each  of  the  twelve  tribes  having  received  the  lot  of  its  inherit- 
ance, provision  was  next  made  for  the  cities  of  refuge,  and  for  the 
habitation  of  the  Levites.  Six  cities  of  refuge  were,  by  God's  direc- 
tion, appointed  by  the  people  themselves  —  three  on  the  west  of 
Jordan,  and  three  on  the  east.  The  Levites  received  forty-eight 
cities  and  their  suburbs,  which  were  given  up  by  the  several  tribes 
in  proportion  to  the  number  of  cities  they  respectively  possessed. 
Thus  did  the  Lord  give  to  Israel  all  the  land  which  He  had  sworn 
unto  their  fathers,  and  they  dwelt  in  it.  "There  failed  not  aught 
of  any  good  thing  which  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  the  house  of 
Israel ;  all  came  to  pass"  (Josh.  xxi.  43-45). 

Joshua  governed  Israel  for  five-and-twenty  years,  and  he  lived 
long  after  God  had  given  the  people  rest  from  their  enemies.  At 
length  the  time  came  when  he  felt  himself '"  going  the  way  of  all 
the  earth."  His  last  care  was  to  set  clearly  before  the  people  their 
true  position,  and  to  bind  them  to  the  Lord  by  another  solemn 
covenant.  First,  he  sent  for  all  the  heads  of  the  tribes,  the  judges, 
and  the  officers,  and  gave  them  an  exhortation  to  be  very  courageous 
to  keep  and  to  do  all  that  was  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of 
Moses.  He  reminded  them  of  all  that  God  had  done  to  the  Ca- 
naanites  for  their  sakes,  and  of  His  promise  that,  if  they  continued 
faithful,  the  land  divided  to  them  should  be  wholly  theirs,  and  the 
heathen  should  be  driven  out  before  them  (Josh,  xxiii.). 

This  exhortation  he  repeated  at  Shechem,  the  sacred  home  of 
Abraham  and  Jacob;  and  he  ended  with  an  appeal  unequalled  in 
simple  force  except  by  that  of  Elijah  to  Israel,  "  If  it  seem  evil 
unto  you  to  serve  the  Lord,  choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will 
serve.  ...  As  for  me  and  ray  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord. 
The  people  answered  and  said,  God  forbid  that  we  should  forsake 
the  Lord,  to  serve  other  gods"  (Josh.  xxiv.  15,  ](!).  And  Joshua 
wrote  these  words  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God,  and  took  a  great 
stone,  and  having  set  it  upright  under  an  oak  near  the  sanctuary 
of  the  Lord,  he  said,  ';Lct  this  stone  be  a  witness  unto  you  lest  ye 
deny  your  God."  The  people  then  departed  to  their  homes,  and 
Joshua  soon  after  died,  at  the  age  of  110  (about  B.C.  1420-5).  and 


B.C.  1461-H26.        DEATH  OF  JOSHUA. 


121 


was  buried  in  the  holder  of  his  inheritance    in  Timnath-Serah. 
His  decease  was  soon  followed  by  that  of  Eleazar,  the  high-priest, 

the  son  of  Aaron. 

The  bones  of  Joseph,  which  the  Israelites  had  brought  out  of 
Egypt,  were  duly  interred  at  Shechem,  in  the  plot  of  ground  wind 
Jacob  bad  bought  of  Ilamor. 

The  lessons  of  the  wilderness  were  not  lost  upon  the  people. 
We  search  the  Sacred  history  in  vain,  from  the  Exodus  to  the 
Captivity,  for  another  generation  that  was  so  wholly  faithful  to  the 
Lord. 


E^- 


Goodly  Babylonish  Garments.    (From  the  Sizr.et-Cylimler  of  Urukh,a  very  asciect  liing  o'-  J^kos 

Babylonia.) 


Sacred  Symbolic  Tree  of  the  Assyrians.     (Probably  the  Aahemh  or  "Grove''  oituu  set  uu  us  an 

idol.) 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  JUDGES. — B.C.  142G-1095. 

After  the  death  of  Joshua,  God  uttered  His  commands  through 
the  high-priest,  and  the  elders  of  each  tribe  governed  the  people. 
In  the  efforts  made  by  the  several  tribes  to  drive  out  the  heathen 
nations,  Jcdah  took  the  lead.  For  a  period  of  thirty  or  forty  years 
the  people  remained  faithful  to  the  Lord — so  long  as  the  generation 
lasted  that  had  seen  all  His  mighty  works.  But  in  the  next  gene- 
ration they  fell  into  the  worship  of  "Baalim" — the  idols  of  the 
country — and  they  were  given  over  into  the  hands  of  the  enemies 
whose  gods  they  served.  Their  career  of  conquest  was  then  check- 
ed, and  they  were  oppressed  by  heathen  enemies ;  but.  though  pun- 
ished, they  were  not  forsaken  by  God.  As  often  as  they  were  op- 
pressed, He  raised  up  "Judges,"  who  delivered  them  from  their 
oppressors.  But,  as  often  as  they  were  delivered,  they  disobeyed 
their  judges,  and  fell  back  into  idolatry.  Such  is  a  summary  of 
the  history  given  in  the  first  sixteen  chapters  of  Judges;  the  rest 
of  the  hook  is  occupied  with  two  or  three  striking  examples  of  the 
idolatry  and  the  anarchy  thus  generally  described.  These  arc  ex- 
pressly mentioned  as  proofs  of  the  disorder  of  those  days  when 
"  there  was  no  king  in  Israel,  but  every  man  did  that  which  was 
right  in  his  own  eyes"  (Judg.  xvii.  6).  They  may  be  most  fitly 
noticed  here,  as  they  properly  precede  the  period  of  the  Judges. 

1.  The  Story  of  Micah  and  the  Danites.  A  man  of  Mount 
Ephraim,  named  Micah,  had  stolen  from  his  mother  1100  shekels 
of  silver.      She  cursed  the  unknown  thief,  and  devoted  the  silver  to 


B.C.142G-1095.    IDOLATRY  AND  ANARCHY.  123 

the  Lord,  to  make  a  graven  and  a  molten  image  ;  but  when  her  son 
confessed  the  theft,  and  restored  the  silver  to  his  mother,  she  gave 
200  shekels  of  it  to  the  founder  for  the  fulfillment  of  her  vow.  The 
two  images  which  he  made  were  set  up  in  the  house  of  Micah,  who 
made  also  an  ephod  (the  garment  of  a  priest}  and  teraphim  (ininoi 
household  gods),  and  consecrated  one  of  his  sons  as  priest,  thus 
making  a  complete  patriarchal  establishment  for  the  worship  of  the 
Lord.  He  soon  obtained  as  his  priest  a  young  Levite,  who  had  re- 
moved out  of  Bethlehein-Judah  in  search  of  some  other  abode. 
Micah  hired  him  for  ten  shekels  a  year,  besides  garments  and  food  ; 
and,  though  the  law  forbade  a  Levite  to  intrude  into  the  priest's 
office,  Micah  felt  sure  that  the  Lord  would  do  him  good,  seeing  that 
he  had  a  Levite  for  his  priest. 

About  this  time  the  Danites  were  seeking  an  inheritance  to  dwell 
in,  and  they  sent  out  five  spies  to  prepare  the  way  for  their  great 
expedition  against  Laish.  In  passing  the  house  of  Micah,  they 
recognized  the  voice  of  the  Levite,  and  said  to  him,  "  'What  doest 
thou  in  this  place  ?"  At  their  request,  he  asked  counsel  of  God 
respecting  the  issue  of  their  journey,  and  gave  them  a  favorable 
answer.  The  spies  having  accomplished  their  mission,  GOO  men  of 
war  started  from  the  Danitc  cities  of  Zorah  and  Eshtaol,  to  attack 
the  city  of  Laish.  When  they  came  to  the  house  of  Micah,  at 
Mount  Ephraim,  they  stole  his  carved  image,  ephod,  and  teraphim, 
and  enticed  his  priest  to  go  with  them.  Having  taken  the  city  of 
Laish  by  surprise,  and  given  it  the  new  name  of  Dan,  they  set  up 
the  graven  image,  and  established  a  sanctuary  there  for  themselves, 
while  the  tabernacle  was  in  Shiloh.  The  family  of  the  Levite, 
whose  name  was  Jonathan,  the  grandson  of  Moses,  continued  to  be 
priests  to  the  tribe  of  Dan  down  to  the  Captivity.  This  narrative 
shows  clearly  into  what  a  disordered  state  the  nation  had  fallen 
during  this  period  (Judg.  xvii.,  xviii.). 

2.  The  Destruction  of  the  Tribe  of  Benjamin.  A  certain  Levite 
of  Mount  Ephraim  bad  taken  a  concubine  from  Bethlehem-Judah. 
Having  proved  unfaithful  to  him,  she  returned  to  her  father's  house 
at  Bethlehem,  and  remained  there  four  months.  At  length  the 
Levite  went  in  a  friendly  spirit  to  fetch  her  home.  He  was  gladly 
welcomed  by  his  father-in-law,  at  whose  pressing  entreaty  be  pro- 
longed his  visit  for  five  days,  and  towards  the  evening  of  the  fifth 
day  he  departed  with  his  concubine  and  servant.  As  night  came 
on  they  found  themselves  over  against  Jebus,  the  citadel  of  Jeru- 
salem. The  servant  proposed  that  they  should  turn  in  and  lodge 
in  the  citj'  of  the  Jebusites ;  but  the  master  preferred  to  go  on  to 
Gibeah  of  Benjamin,  about  four  miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  On 
reaching  this  place,  the  little  party  sat  down  in  the  street  of  the 


12-i  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

city,  without  being  offered  a  lodging  by  any  of  the  Benjamites. 
At  even  an  old  man  came  from  his  work  out  of  the  field,  who  be- 
longed  to  Mount  Ephraim,  but  lived  in  Gibeah.  He  found  the 
wayfarers  in  the  street  and  took  them  home,  and  showed  them  all 
the  duties  of  hospitality.  But  the  men  of  the  city  were  "men  of 
Belial,"  and  when  night  came  on  they  beset  the  old  man's  house, 
and  committed  a  horrible  outrage  upon  the  woman,  from  which  she 
died.  In  the  morning  the  Levite  carried  her  dead  body  to  his  own 
home ;  and,  having  cut  the  corpse  into  twelve  pieces,  he  sent  one 
to  each  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  who  cried  with  one  voice  that 
no  such  deed  had  been  done  or  seen  since  the  children  of  Israel 
came  up  out  of  Egypt.  Then  all  the  children  of  Israel,  as  one 
man,  from  Dan  even  to  Beersheba,  gathered  together  at  Mizpeh, 
and  bound  themselves  by  a  solemn  vow  to  avenge  this  wickedness. 
First,  however,  they  sent  messengers  through  all  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin to  demand  the  surrender  of  the  culprits,  but  the  Benjamites 
refused  to  give  them  up.  Then  followed  a  struggle  almost  unex- 
ampled. After  two  engagements,  m  which  the  tribes  lost  40,000 
men,  the  Benjamites  were  defeated  with  great  slaughter.  Of  the 
25,700  warriors  of  the  tribe,  only  600  were  left,  who  fled  to  the 
Rock  of  Rimmon,  in  the  wilderness,  and  remained  there  four 
months,  while  the  Israelites  burnt  their  cities,  and  put  the  inhabit- 
ants and  the  cattle  to  the  sword. 

At  length  the  anger  of  the  Israelites  began  to  turn  to  pity.  The 
people  assembled  at  the  house  of  God,  and  lifted  up  their  voices 
and  wept  sore,  and  said,  "  O  Lord  God  of  Israel,  why  is  this  come 
to  pass  that  there  should  be  this  day  one  tribe  lacking  in  Israel?" 
Its  total  extinction  seemed  inevitable;  for  when  they  made  the 
league  at  Mizpeh,  they  had  bound  themselves  by  a  curse  not  to 
give  their  daughters  to  the  Benjamites.  But  a  remedy  was  found 
in  another  curse,  which  they  had  imprecated  upon  any  of  the  tribes 
who  neglected  to  come  up  to  the  battle.  The  men  of  Jabesh-Gilead, 
having  absented  themselves,  were  utterly  destroyed,  and  400  virgins 
carried  off  from  that,  city  were  given  for  wives  to  the  remnant  of 
the  Benjamites.  The  remaining  200  were  provided  for  by  the 
Benjamites  seizing  the  maidens  of  Shiloh,  who  came  out  of  the  city 
to  dance  at  one  of  the  great  annual  feasts.  The  children  of  Israel 
then  departed  to  their  own  homes  (Judg.  xix.-xxi.). 

Such  scenes  as  these,,  though  they  illustrate  the  ferocity  of  man- 
ners dming  this  period,  must  not  be  supposed  to  describe  the  whole 
or  even  the  chief  part  of  the  history  of  Israel  under  the  Judges. 
An  exquisite  picture  of  rural  tranquillity  is  set  before  us  in  the  Book 
of  Ruth,  which  belongs  to  this  time. 

Jt  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  the  Judges  that  a  certain  mai  of 


B.C.  1426-1095.       THE  STORY  OF  RUTH.  I2S 

Bethlehem-Judah,  named  Elimelech,  bad  been  driven  by  a  famine 
into  the  country  of  Moab,  with  his  wife  Naomi  and  their  two  sons, 
Mahlon  and  Chilion.  The  sons  married  women  of  Moab,  named 
Orpah  and  Ruth,  and  the  family  resided  in  that  country  for  about 
ten  years.  There  the  father  died,  and  his  two  sons  likewise. 
Then  Naomi  prepared  to  leave  the  country  of  Moab,  and  to  return 
to  her  own  land — the  land  of  Judah.  To  her  two  daughters-in-law 
she  said,  "  Go,  return  each  to  her  mother's  house.  The  Lord  deal 
kindly  with  you,"  but  they  lifted  up  their  voice  and  wept,  and  said, 
"Surely  we  will  return  with  thee  to  thy  people."  On  her  urging 
the  point  for  their  own  sakes,  one  of  them,  Orpah,  kissed  her 
mother-in-law,  and  went  back  "to  her  people  and  her  gods;"'  but 
the  other,  Ruth,  clave  unto  her,  and  said,  "  Entreat  me  not  to  leave 
thee,  or  to  return  from  following  after  thee."  So  they  two  went 
until  they  came  to  Bethlehem,  which  they  reached  at  the  beginning 
of  barley-harvest. 

A  wealthy  and  powerful  man  of  Bethlehem,  named  Boaz,  was  a 
very  near  kinsman  to  Elimelech,  Naomi's  deceased  husband,  and 
consequently  to  Ruth,  his  daughter-in-law.  It  chanced  that  Ruth 
went  to  glean  in  this  man's  field,  and  when  he  visited  the  gleaners, 
she  attracted  his  attention.  When  he  learnt  who  she  was,  he  bade 
her  glean  only  in  his  field,  and  enjoined  the  reapers  to  show  her 
kindness.  "Let  fall,"  he  said,  "some  of  the  handfuls  of  purpose 
for  her,  and  leave  them  that  she  may  glean  them."  Thus  passed 
the  whole  harvest.  Meanwhile  Naomi,  full  of  gratitude  to  God, 
who  had  thus  guided  her  to  her  husband's  nearest  kinsman,  in- 
structed Ruth  what  to  do,  and  Boaz  promised  to  do  the  part  of  a 
kinsman  by  her.  After  going  through  the  ceremonies  prescribed 
by  the  Levitical  Law,  he  made  her  his  wife.  She  bore  him  a  son 
named  Obed,  the  father  of  Jesse,  the  father  of  David  ;  and  so  Christ, 
the  son  of  David,  derived  his  lineage  from  a  Moabitish  woman,  who 
had  shown  a  faith  rarely  found  in  Israel,  and  whose  husband  was 
the  son  of  the  harlot  Rahab. 

From  these  scenes,  of  Jewish  life  during  this  unsettled  period  we 
turn  to  the  history  of  the  Judges  themselves.  They  were  fifteen  in 
number,  Deborah  the  prophetess  being  reckoned  with  her  male  asso- 
ciate Barak.  (1)  Othniel ;  (2)  Ehud;  (:'.)  Shamgar;  (4)  Deborah 
and  Barak;  (5)  Gideon  ;  ((!)  Abimelech  ;  (7)  Tolali ;  (8)Jair;  ('.)) 
Jephthah;  (lO)Ibzan;  (l')Elon;  (12)Abdon;  (13)  Samson;  (14-) 
Eli;  (15)  Samuel.  As  often  as  the  Israelites  forsook  the  Lord,  he 
allowed  them  to  be  oppressed  by  their  enemies.  Then,  when  they 
returned  to  him,  and  implored  his  aid,  he  sent  "Judges  "  to  deliver 
them  from  the  foreign  conqueror. 

I.  The   first  of  these  conquerors  was  Chush..n-rishathaiin,  king 


126  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

of  Mesopotamia,  the  former  home  of  the  family  of  Abraham. 
After  the  people  had  served  him  eight  years  (b.c.  1402-1394),  God 
raised  up  Otiixiel,  Caleb's  nephew,  to  be  their  deliverer,  and  the 
First  Judge ;  and  under  his  government  the  land  had  rest  forty 
years  (b.c.  1394-1354)  (Judg.  iii.  11). 

II.  E^lon,  king  of  Moab,  was  the  next  enemy  who  prevailed 
against  Israel.  Having  formed  a  great  league  with  the  Ammonites 
and  Amalekites,  he  crossed  the  Jordan,  defeated  the  Israelites,  and 
took  possession  of  the  city  of  palm-trees  (Judg.  iii.  13),  probably  the 
site  on  which  Jericho  had  formerly  stood.  His  power  endured  for 
eighteen  years,  till  a  deliverer  was  raised  up  in  Ehud,  the  son  of 
Gera,  who  slew  Eglon,  and  is  reckoned  the  Second  Judge.  The 
land  then  had  rest  for  eighty  years,  and  the  history  of  Ruth,  already 
related,  appears  to  fall  within  this  period  of  tranquillity  (Judg.  iii. 
30). 

III.  The  place  of  Third  Judge  is  commonly  assigned  to  Sham- 
gar,  who  delivered  Israel  from  the  tyranny  of  the  Philistines,  and 
displayed  his  strength  by  killing  600  of  them  with  an  ox-goad. 
His  time  and  acts  are  probably  to  be  included  in  the  preceding 
period  of  eighty  years  (Judg.  iii.  31). 

IV.  After  the  death  of  Ehud,  the  people  were  again  sold  for  their 
sins  into  the  hand  of  the  Canaanite  Jabin,  king  of  Hazor,  who  was 
at  the  head  of  a  great  confederacy  in  northern  Palestine.  He  had 
900  war-chariots  of  iron,  and  his  host  was  commanded  by  a  mighty 
captain  named  Sisera,  who  dwelt  in  Ilarosheth  of  the  Gentiles,  a 
city  supposed  to  have  been  on  the  western  shore  of  the  "  Waters  of 
Merom."  For  twenty  years  Jabin  mightily  oppressed  the  children 
of  Israel;  but  both  his  power  and  the  life  of  his  captain,  Sisera, 
were  given  as  a  spoil  to  the  hands  of  women.  At  this  time  Israel 
was  judged  by  Deborah,  a  prophetess,  the  wife  of  Lapidoth,  who  is 
reckoned  with  Barak  as  the  Fourth  Judge.  She  dwelt  under  a 
palm-tree,  which  bore  her  name,  between  Ramah  and  Bethel,  and 
thither  the  people  came  up  to  her  for  judgment.  She  went  out  with 
Barak  to  meet  Sisera  and  his  host  near  the  river  Kishon.  Sisera 
advanced  from  Harosheth  to  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  or  Jezreel, 
and  took  up  his  position  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  plain  near 
"Taanach,  by  the  waters  of  Megiddo,"  which  were  numerous  riv- 
ulets flowing  into  the  Kishon.  Barak  marched  down  from  his 
camp  on  Mount  Tabor  with  10,000  men.  At  this  critical  moment, 
a  tremendous  storm  of  sleet  and  hail  gathered  from  the  east,  and 
burst  over  the  plain,  driving  full  in  the  face  of  the  advancing  Ca- 
naanites.  "The  stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera." 
The  rain  descended,  the  torrent  of  the  Kishon  rose  into  a  flood,  and 
swept  away  the  chariots  and  iiorses  which  should  have  gained  the 


B.C.  1 420-1095.  DEATH  OF  SISERA.  127 

day  for  the  Canaanites.  Far  and  wide,  the  vast  army  fled  through 
the  eastern  branch  of  the  plain  by  Endor,  and  a  carnage  took  place 
long  afterwards  remembered.  Sisera  escaped  by  dismounting  from 
his  chariot,  and  fled  on  foot  to  the  tent  of  Ileber  the  Kenite.  Jael, 
Heber's  wife,  met  him  at  the  tent  door,  and  pressed  him  to  come  in. 
He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  she  covered  him  with  a  mantle,  as 
he  lay  wearily  on  the  floor.  When  thirst  prevented  sleep,  he  said 
unto  her,  "  Give  me,  I  pray  thee,  a  little  water  to  drink,"  and  she 
gave  him  buttermilk  in  her  choicest  vessel.  At  last,  having  exacted 
a  promise  from  her  that  she  would  faithfully  preserve  the  secret  of 
his  concealment,  the  weary  and  unfortunate  general  resigned  him- 
self to  sleep.  Then  it  was  that  Jael  took  in  her  left  hand  one  of  the 
great  wooden  pins  which  fasten  down  the  cords  of  the  tent,  and  in 
her  right  hand  the  mallet  used  to  drive  them  into  the  ground,  and 
creeping  up  softly  to  her  sleeping  and  confiding  guest,  with  one  ter- 
rible blow  she  dashed  the  nail  through  his  temples  deep  into  the 
earth.  So  he  died.  And  heboid  as  Barak  pursued  Sisera,  Jael 
came  out  to  meet  him,  and  led  him  into  her  tent,  to  claim  the  glory 
of  the  deed  (Judg.  iv.).  Many  persons  have  pointed  to  the  treachery 
of  Jael  with  indignant  reprobation ;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  Bible  does  not  adopt  the  morality  of  all  the  acts  that  it 
records — not  even  of  those  done  by  the  servants  of  God. 

V.  The  peace  purchased  by  the  victory  of  Deborah  and  Barak 
was  again  misused  by  Israel,  and  the  next  scene  of  their  history 
opens  upon  a  more  shameless  idolatry,  and  a  more  complete  sub- 
jection to  their  enemies.  The  worship  of  Baal  was  publicly  prac- 
tised, and  on  this  account  the  Lord  delivered  them  over  to  their 
old  enemies  of  the  desert,  the  Midianites  and  the  Amalekites.  Ev- 
ery year  they  came  up  with  their  cattle  and  their  tents,  as  "  locusts 
tor  multitude,"  and  devoured  all  the  produce  of  the  land  as  far  as 
Gaza,  so  that  the  Israelites  had  no  food  left,  nor  sheep,  nor  ox,  nor 
ass.  The  only  refuge  of  the  people  was  in  dens  and  caves  and 
strongholds  in  the  mountains.  This  oppression  lasted  seven  years  ; 
and  at  last  Gideox,  the  son  of  Joash,  and  an  inhabitant  of  Ophrah, 
in  Manasseh,  was  called  to  be  the  deliverer  of  his  nation,  and  is 
reckoned  as  the  Fifth  Judge.  One  day,  as  be  was  threshing  wheat 
near  his  wine-press,  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him,  and 
said  unto  him,  "  The  Lord  is  with  thee,  thou  mighty  man  of  valor." 
"If  the  Lord  be  with  us,"  Gideon  replied,  "  why  then  is  all  this  be- 
fallen us?  Where  be  all  His  miracles  which  our  fathers  have  told 
us  of?  But  now  the  Lord  hath  forsaken  us,  and  hath  delivered  us 
into  the  hands  of  the  Midianites."  The  reply  was  a  command  to 
go  in  His  might  and  save  Israel  from  the  Midianites,  for  the  Lord 
had  sent  him.      '•Wherewith  shall  I  save  Israel?"  inquired  Gid- 


128  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX 

eon  :  "  my  family  is  poor  in  Manasseh,  and  I  am  the  least  in  my 
father's  house."  "  Surely  I  will  be  with  thee,"  said  the  Lord, 
"and  thou  shale  smite  the  Midianites  as  one  man."  These  words 
left  little  doubt  on  Gideon's  mind  as  to  the  quality  of  his  visitant. 
"Depart  not  hence,  I  pray  thee,"  he  says,  "  until  I  come  unto  thee 
and  bring  forth  my  present  and  set  it  before  thee."  Having  pre- 
pared a  meat-offering  of  unleavened  cakes,  with  a  kid,  and  the 
broth  in  which  it  was  boiled  for  a  drink-offering,  he  brought  them 
out  to  the  angel  under  the  oak.  These  things  he  was  commanded  to 
lay  upon  a  rock,  in  the  very  form  of  a  sacrifice  prescribed  by  the  law, 
and  at  the  touch  of  the  angel's  staff  fire  rose  up  out  of  the  rock  and 
consumed  them.  The  angel  then  departed  out  of  his  sight.  When 
Gideon  perceived  that  lie  had  spoken  with  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  he 
feared  that  he  should  die  because  he  had  seen  Him  face  to  face. 
"Peace  be  to  thee:  fear  not,"  said  the  Lord.  Then  he  built  an 
altar  unto  the  Lord  on  the  spot  where  the  sacrifice  had  been  offer- 
ed, and  called  it  Jkiiovah-siialom  {Jehovah  [is  our~] peace)  (Judg. 
vi.  24). 

Having  received  a  commandment  to  throw  down  the  altar  of  Baal 
belonging  to  his  father  Joash  in  Ophrah,  and  to  cut  up  the  wooden 
image  (not  the  grove,  as  in  the  English  version)  of  the  goddess 
Ashtoreth,  he  obeyed.  Aided  by  ten  of  his  servants,  he  performed 
tli is  deed  by  night,  for  fear  of  his  father's  household  and  the  men 
of  the  city.  In  the  morning  all  was  discovered ;  and  the  men  of 
the  city  came  to  Joash,  demanding  the  life  of  Gideon,  because  he 
had  thrown  down  the  altar  of  Baal.  But  Joash  replied,  "Let  Baal 
plead  his  own  cause."  Wherefore  Gideon  received  the  new  name 
Jerub-isaal,  that  is,  "Let  Baal  plead"  (Judg.  vi.  32). 

Once  more  the  Midianites  and  Amalekites,  with  all  the  roving 
tribes  east  of  Palestine,  mustered  their  forces,  and  pitched  in  the 
valley  of  Jezreel.  Then  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Gideon, 
and  he  blew  a  trumpet,  and  called  round  him  Manasseh,  Asher, 
Zebulun,  and  Naphtali,  and  they  came  up  to  meet  him.  The  host 
encamped  on  Mount  Gilboa,  overlooking  the  myriad  tents  that 
whitened  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  Before  the  conflict,  Gideon  prayed 
for  a  sign  that  God  would  save  Israel  by  his  hand.  Two  mira- 
cles were  wrought  to  sustain  his  courage  and  strengthen  his  faith. 
He  spread  a  fleece  of  wool  on  his  threshing-floor,  and  asked  that  it 
might  be  wet  with  dew  while  the  earth  around  was  dry,  and  in  the 
morning  he  wrung  a  bowlful  of  water  out  of  the  fleece.  The  sign 
was  repeated  in  a  different  form  :  the  fleece  remained  dry,  while  all 
the  ground  was  wet  with  dew  (Judg.  vi.  38,  39). 

Encouraged  by  these  miraculous  signs,  Gideon  encamped  early 
in  the  morning  by  the  "Well  of  Trembling  "  (Flarod),  at  the  head 


B.C.  1426-1095.         GIDEON  AS  JUDGE.  129 

of  32,000  men.  That  the  people  might  not  vaunt  themselves 
against  the  Lord,  and  say,  on  account  of  their  numbers,  "  Mine  own 
hand  hath  saved  me,"  Gideon  was  directed  to  proclaim,  "  Whoso- 
ever is  afraid,  let  him  return  and  depart  early  from  Mount  Gilead." 
22,000  then  slunk  away.  Still  the  Lord  said  that  the  people  were 
too  many,  and  they  were  put  to  another  test  by  their  manner  of 
drinking  at  the  "Well  of  Trembling."  All  those  who  knelt  down 
to  drink  were  put  aside  ;  while  those  who  lifted  the  water  in  their 
hands,  and  lapped  it  like  a  dog,  were  chosen  for  the  service.  The 
number  proved  to  be  only  3C0  ;  and  by  these  the  Lord  said  He 
would  deliver  the.  Midianites  into  the  hands  of  Gideon.  The  peo- 
ple then  took  victuals  in  their  hands  and  their  trumpets,  and  wait- 
ed for  the  night.  At  nightfall  God  commanded  Gideon  to  go  down 
with  his  servant  Phurah  to  the  host  of  Midian,  where  lie  overheard 
a  man-relate  a  dream  to  his  comrade,  from  which  he  learned  that 
God  had  already  stricken  the  Midianites  with  terror  at  "the  sword 
of  Gideon,  the  son  of  Joash."  On  returning  to  his  host,  he  divided 
his  three  hundred  men  into  three  companies,  furnished  each  man 
with  a  trumpet,  and  a  torch  concealed  in  a  pitcher,  and  bade  them 
all,  at  the  signal  of  his  trumpet,  to  sound  their  trumpets  too,  and  to 
shout  his  battle-cry,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon!"  at 
the  same  time  breaking  the  pitchers  that  covered  their  lights.  Just 
as  the  middle  watch  was  set,  they  took  their  posts  on  three  sides  of 
the  host  of  Midian,  and  did  so.  The  sudden  shouts  and  Hashing 
lights  bewildered  the  Midianites;  and,  as  Gideon's  handful  of  men 
stood  firm  with  the  torches  in  their  left  hands,  and  the  trumpets  in 
their  right,  they  "  ran  and  cried  and  fled  "  (Judg.  vii.  21).  No  at- 
tack was  needed  :  the  swords  of  the  Midianites  were  set  against  each 
other,  as  they  fled  down  the  pass  leading  to  the  Jordan.  Thus 
Gideon  gained  the  victory,  and  accomplished  the  deliverance  of 
Israel. 

The  people's  gratitude  to  their  deliverer  displayed  itself  in  their 
offering  Gideon  the  rank  of  an  hereditary  king  ;  "Rule  thou  over 
us,"  they  said,  "both  thou  and  thy  son,  and  thy  son's  son."  The 
answer  shows  that  Gideon  remembered  the  great  principle  of  the 
theocracy,  "I  will  not  rule  over  you,  neither  shall  my  son  rule  over 
you:  the  Lord  shall  rule  over  you"  (Judg.  vii.  22,  23).  He  was 
content  with  the  position  of  a  judge,  and  in  the  succession  of  the 
judges  he  is  reckoned  as  the  Fifth  and  greatest,  being  excelled  by 
Samuel  in  holiness  of  character,  but  by  none  indignity  and  bravery. 
Ilis  rule  lasted  forty  years,  during  which  time  the  Midianites  never 
lifted  their  heads  again.  He  had  many  wives,  and  a  family  of  sev- 
enty sons,  besides  Abimelech,  the  son  of  his  concubine  at  Shechem. 
He  died  in  a  good  old  age,  and  was  buried  at  his  native  city  of  Oph- 

I 


130  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap,  IX. 

rah.     After  his  death  the  children  of  Israel  returned  to  the  worship 
of  Baalim  (Judg.  viii.  33). 

VI.  The  royal  power,  which  Gideon  had  refused,  was  coveted  af- 
ter his  death  by  Abimelech,  the  son  of  his  concubine  at  Shechem, 
who  succeeded,  for  the  short  space  of  three  years,  in  establishing  a 
kingdom  at  that  place,  and  is  regarded  as  the  Sixth  Judge.  Hav- 
ing won  over  his  mother's  brethren,  he  induced  them  to  say  to  the 
men  of  Shechem,  "Is  it  better  for  you  that  Gideon's  sons,  seventy 
persons,  should  reign  over  you,  or  that  one  should  reign  over  you  ?" 
The  Shechemites  were  at  length  gained  over  ;  and  they  gave  Abim- 
elech money  out  of  the  sacred  treasury  of  their  god,  Baal-berith, 
with  which  he  hired  "vain  and  light  persons,"  the  refuse  of  society, 
to  follow  him  (Judg.  ix.  4).  He  led  them  to  his  father's  house  at 
Ophrah,  and  there  he  slew  Gideon's  seventy  sons  on  one  stone,  ex- 
cept Jotham,  the  youngest,  who  hid  himself.  The  men  of  She- 
chem, then,  headed  by  the  house  of  Millo,  assembled  and  made 
Abirneleeh  king  (verse  6),  at  the  very  oak  where  Joshua  had  set  up 
the  pillar  that  commemorated  Israel's  solemn  engagement  to  the 
Lord  (Josh.  xxiv.  26).  When  Jotham  heard  of  this,  he  went  forth 
and  stood  on  the  top  of  Mount  Gerizim,  and  lifted  up  his  voice  and 
said,  "Hearken  unto  me,  men  of  Shechem,  that  God  may  hearken 
unto  you."  He  then  related  that  fable,  the  most  ancient  upon  rec- 
ord, which  has  become  celebrated  tinder  his  name.  The  trees  on  a- 
time  went  forth  to  anoint  a  king  over  them,  and  their  choice  fell 
first  upon  the  best  and  most  useful.  They  said  to  the  olive-tree, 
"Reign  thou  over  us."  But  the  olive-tree  replied,  "Should  I 
leave  my  fatness  wherewith  by  me  they  honor  God  and  man,  and 
go  up  and  down  for  other  trees  ?"  They  next  applied  to  the  fig- 
tree ;  but  the  fig-tree  said,  "Should  I  forsake  my  sweetness  and 
my  good  fruit,  and  go  up  and  down  for  other  trees?"  Then  they 
asked  the  vine;  but  the  vine  said,  "  Should  I  leave  my  wine  which 
chcereth  God  and  man,  and  go  up  and  down  for  other  trees  ?" 
Then  they  turned  to  the  bramble,  and  said,  "  Come  thou  and  reign 
over  us."  And  the  bramble  said,  "  If  in  truth  ye  anoint  me  king 
over  you,  come  and  put  your  trust  in  my  shadow  ;  and  if  not,  let 
fire  come  out  of  the  bramble  and  devour  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  " 
(Judg.  ix.  8-15).  Consider  now,  continued  Jotham,  if  ye  have 
done  well  towards  Gideon,  and  according  to  his  deserts.  If  ye 
have,  then  rejoice  in  Abimelech,  and  let  him  also  rejoice  in  you. 
But  if  not,  then  let  fire  come  out  from  Abimelech,  and  devour 
Shechem,  or  let  fire  come  out  from  the  men  of  Shechem  and  devour 
Abimelech.  Having  said  these  tilings,  Jotham  ran  away  and  fled 
to  Beer,  and  we  hear  of  him  no  more  (Judg.  ix.  21). 

His  curse  was  not  long  in  being  fulfilled.     After  Abimelech  v*ad 


B.C.  1426-1095.    JOTHAM'S  FABLE  OF  THE  TREES.     131 

roigned  three  years,  God  sent  an  evil  spirit  between  Abimelech  and 
the  men  of  Shechem,  to  avenge  upon  both  the  murder  of  the  sons 
of  Gideon..  The  Shechemites  revolted  against  Abimelech,  and 
plotted  against  his  life.  Bands  of  men  lay  in  wait  for  him,  and 
robbed  all  passers-by  while  he  was  absent  from  the  city.  Zebul, 
the  ruler  of  the  city,  sent  privately  to  inform  Abimelech  that  the 
people  were  proposing  to  fortify  Shechem  against  him  ;  whereupon 
he  surrounded  the  city  by  night  and  defeated  the  Shechemites,  when 
they  came  out  to  meet  him,  with  their  leader  Gaal,  with  great  loss. 
He  afterwards  took  the  city,  and  utterly  destroyed  it,  sowing  the 
foundations  with  salt,  and  slaying  all  the  inhabitants.  About  a 
thousand  men  and  women,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  a  tower  sacred 
to  Baal-berith,  were  burnt  to  death  (Judg.  ix.  40-49). 

The  cruel  deed  was  soon  avenged.  Abimelech  had  besieged 
Thebez,  where  also  there  was  a  tower,  to  which  the  people  tied 
when  the  city  was  taken.  He  had  approached  the  door  to  set  fire 
to  it  as  at  Shechem,  when  a  woman  threw  down  a  piece  of  a  mill- 
stone upon  his  head  and  broke  his  skull.  In  the  agony  of  death  he 
had  just  time  to  call  upon  his  armor-bearer  to  dispatch  him  with 
his  sword,  that  it  might  not  be  said  of  him  "  a  woman  slew  him." 
Thus  God  rendered  both  to  Abimelech  and  to  the  Shechemites  their 
wickedness  in  slaying  the  sons  of  Gideon.  And  the  bramble  Abim- 
elech devoured  the  men  who  elevated  him,  and  was  devoured  by 
them  (Judg.  ix.  56,  57). 

VII.,  VIII.  After  him  came  Tola, who  dwelt  in  Mount  Ephraim, 
and  judged  Israel  twenty-three  years.  He  was  the  Seventh  Judge ; 
and  was  succeeded  by  Jair,  a  Gileadite,  who  had  a  peaceful  rule  of 
twenty-two  years,  and  was  the  Eighth  Judge. 

During  this  long  interval  of  rest,  the  Israelites  multiplied  their 
idolatries;  serving  all  the  gods  of  all  the  nations  around  them,  ex. 
cept  the  Lord :  Him  they  forsook  and  served  not.  Their  punish- 
ment was  as  signal  as  their  sin.  Two  nations  at  once  attacked  Is- 
rael on  the  west  and  the  east — the  Philistines  and  the  Ammonites. 
For  eighteen  years  the  Ammonites  oppressed  the  Israelites  who 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  Gilead,  on  the  east  of  Jordan.  They  also  pass- 
ed over  the  Jordan  and  attacked  Judah,  Benjamin,  and  Ephraim, 
so  that  Israel  was  sore  distressed. 

Their  cry  of  penitence  was  not  at  once  successful.  They  were 
told  to  cry  to  the  gods  whom  they  had  chosen  (Judg.  x.  14).  Once 
more  they  humbled  themselves  before  the  Lord.  "We  have  sinned," 
they  said  ;  "  deliver  us  only,  we  pray  thee,  this  day."  In  proof  of 
their  repentance,  they  put  away  the  strange  gods  from  among  them 
and  served  the  Lord  ;  and  "  His  soul  was  grieved  for  the  misery 
of  Israel."     Once  more  the  two  nations  were  gathered  together  for 


132  SCEIPTUIiE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

war;  the  sons  of  Ammon  were  encamped  in  Gilead,  and  the  Is- 
raelites in  Mizpeh.      A  captain  alone  was  wanting. 

IX.  Now  at  that  time  there  was  dwelling  in  the  land  of  Tob  a 
man  of  Gilead,  named  Jephthah,  who  is  regarded  as  the  Ninth 
Judge,  lie  was  the  son  of  Gilead  by  a  concubine,  and  on  his  fa- 
ther's death  was  thrust  out  from  his  inheritance  by  his  brethren  be- 
cause he  was  illegitimate.  He  had  become  the  leader  of  a  band  of 
"  vain  persons,"  who  obtained  their  living  as  freebooters.  When 
Jhe  children  of  Ammon  made  war  against  Israel,  the  elders  of  Gil- 
ead went  to  fetch  Jephthah,  and  prevailed  on  him,  with  some  diffi- 
culty, to  become  their  leader.  He  made  them  swear  that  their  de- 
liverer should  be  head  over  all  Gilead,  and  when  he  joined  the 
army  at  Mizpeh  the  oath  was  solemnly  ratified  before  the  Lord 
'Judg.  xj.  6-11). 

Before  he  went  forth  to  battle,  he  made  a  rash  vow  unto  the 
Lord.  "  If  thou  shalt  without  fail,"  he  said,  "deliver  the  children 
of  Ammon  into  mine  hands,  then  whatsoever  shall  come  forth  from 
the  doors  of  my  house  to  me,  when  I  return  in  peace,  shall  surely 
be  the  Lord's,  and  I  will  offer  it  up  for  a  burnt-offering  "  (Judg.  xi. 
31).  His  expedition  was  crowned  with  complete  success  ;  the  Lord 
delivered  the  Ammonites  into  his  hands,  and  he  defeated  them  with 
great  slaughter,  so  that  they  were  entirely  subjected  to  Israel  from 
that  time  until  the  reign  of  Saul. 

Jephthah  returned  a  victor  to  his  house  at  Mizpeh,  and  alas!  to 
pay  his  rash  vow  to  the  Lord.  As  he  approached  his  house,  his  own 
daughter  came  out  to  meet  him  with  timbrels  and  with  dances,  like 
another  Miriam,  and,  to  make  the  blow  more  terrible,  she  was  his 
only  child.  When  he  saw  her,  he  rent  his  clothes  and  cried; 
"Alas,  my  daughter!  thou  hast  brought  me  very  low,  for  I  have 
opened  my  mouth  unto  the  Lord,  and  I  can  not  go  back."  "My 
father,"  she  replied,  "if  thou  hast  opened  thy  mouth  unto  the  Lord, 
do  to  me  according  to  that  which  hath  proceeded  out  of  thy  mouth." 
For  such  a  victory  over  the  children  of  Ammon  as  God  had  given 
Israel,  she  grudged  not  the  sacrifice  of  herself.  "Let  me  alone 
for  two  months,"  she  says,  "  that  I  may  wander  among  the  mount- 
ains of  Gilead  with  my  young  companions,  to  bewail  that  it  was 
not  my  lot  to  be  a  bride  and  a  mother  in  Israel."  At  the  end  of 
that  time  she  returned  to  her  father,  "who  did  with  her  according 
to  his  vow."  Henceforth  it  became  a  custom  for  the  daughters  of 
Israel  to  go  out  four  days  every  year  to  lament  the  daughter  of 
Jephthah  the  Gileadite.  His  deed  is  recorded,  but  finds  no  ap- 
proval, in  Holy  Scripture  ;  and  it  .must  be  remembered  that  he  was 
a  man  whose  spirit  had  become  hardened  by  his  previous  life  as  a 
freebooter  (Judg.  xi.  34-40). 


B.C.  1426-1095.     RASH  VOW  OF  JEPHTHAH.  133 

The  Ephraimites  quarrelled  with  Jephthah,  but  were  utterly  de- 
feated in  Gilcad.  The  fugitives  were  massacred  at  the  fords  of 
Jordan;  each  Ephraimite  being  detected  by  his  pronunciation  of 
Shibboleth  (a  stream  or  flood)  as  Sibboleth.  After  having  judged 
Israel  six  years,  Jephthah  died,  and  was  buried  in  one  of  the  cities 
of  Gilead. 

X.-XII  A  bare  mention  will  suffice  of— X.  Ibzan  of  Bethlehem, 
in  Zcbulun,  who  judged  Israel  for  seven  years,  and  was  succeeded 
by  another  Zebulonite,  (XI.)  Elon,  who  judged  Israel  ten  years, 
and  was  buried  at  Aijalon,  in  Zebulun  ;  and  (XII.)  Abdon,  the  son 
of  Hillel,  who  filled  the  office  for  eight  years  (b.c.  1120-1112). 

XIII.,  XIVr.  We  next  read  that  the  children  of  Israel  did  evil 
again  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah ;  and  he  delivered  them  into  the 
hand  of  the  Philistines  forty  years  (Judg.  xiii.  1).  Then  we  have 
the  story  of  the  birth  and  exploits  of  Samson,  the  Thirteenth 
Judge,  who  is  expressly  said  to  have  judged  Israel  twenty  years  in 
the  days  of  the  Philistines  (Judg.  xv.  20). 

The  Philistine  oppression  has  already  been  mentioned  before  the 
judgeship  of  Jephthah  (Judg.  x.  6),  and  closes  distinctly  with  Sam- 
uel's great  victory  at  Ebenezer  (1  Sam.  vii.  13).  It  seems  probable 
that  the  forty  years  of  its  duration  were  about  equally  divided  by 
the  death  of  Eli,  who  administered  the  general  government  of  Isra- 
el, as  high-priest  and  judge,  at  the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh,  while  Sam- 
son was  performing  his  special  exploits  in  the  limited  territory  of 
Dan.  The  twenty  years  of  Samson's  judgeship  seem  to  coincide 
with  the  last  twenty  years  of  Eli,  who  would  thus  be  properly  the 
thirteenth  judge,  instead  of  the  fourteenth  as  he  is  commonly  reck- 
oned. But  these  questions  can  not  be  discussed  in  the  present 
work ;  and  we  follow  the  order  of  the  sacred  narrative ;  in  which 
the  book  of  Judges  (excepting  the  supplement)  closes  with  the  death 
of  Samson,  and  the  whole  story  of  Eli  and  Samuel  is  reserved  for 
the  book  of  Samuel.1 

The  office  of  high-priest  at  Shiloh  was  now  held  by  Eli,  a  man 
of  venerable  age,  who  was  himself  a  good  man,  but  he  was  guilty 
of  sinful  weakness  in  the  indulgence  he  showed  to  the  vices  of  his 
sons.  To  this  office  he  added  also  that  of  Judge.  In  his  time  it 
pleased  God  to  raise  up  two  champions  for  Israel,  whose  characters 
form  a  remarkable  contrast.  Samson  and  Samuel  exhibit  the  two 
extremes  of  bodily  energy  and  of  spiritual  power.  In  Samson  we 
see  the  utmost  that  man's  strength  can  do ;  in  Samuel  we  behold 
the  wondrous  power  of  prayer. 

1  For  the  full  discussion,  see  the  Student's  Old  Testament  History,  chap. 
xix.  and  note  A  to  ch.  xvii.  We  follow  here  the  received  chronology  of 
Archbishop  Ussher. 


134  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

Samson  was  the  son  of  Manoah,  a  man  of  Zorah,  on  the  confines 
of  Judah.  His  mother  had  long  been  barren,  when  the  Angel  of 
the  Lord  appeared  to  her,  and  said,  "Lo,  thou  shalt  conceive  and 
bear  a  son  ;  the  child  shall  be  a  Nazarite  unto  God  from  the  womb, 
and  he  shall  begin  to  deliver  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philis- 
tines." The  child  thus  promised  was  born  and  named  Samson,  and 
he  grew  up  and  the  Lord  blessed  him.  By  the  time  he  reached 
manhood  the  Philistines  had  dominion  over  Israel,  and  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  began  to  move  him  at  times  in  the  camp  of  Dan.  This 
divine  inspiration  took  in  him  the  especial  form  of  vast  personal 
strength,  animated  by  undaunted  bravery.  Conscious  of  this  pow- 
er, Samson  began  to  seek  a  quarrel  with  the  Philistines,  and  with 
this  view  he  asked  for  a  Philistine  woman  whom  he  had  seen  at 
Timnath,  as  his  wife.  One  day  as  he  passed  by  the  vineyards  of 
the  city,  on  a  visit  to  his  intended  bride,  a  young  lion  rushed  out 
upon  him.  Then  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon  him  ; 
and,  though  he  had  nothing  in  his  hand,  he  tore  the  lion  as  he 
would  have  torn  a  kid,  but  he  told  no  one  of  what  he  had  done. 
As  he  passed  that  way  again,  he  saw  a  swarm  of  bees  in  the  carcass 
of  the  lion,  and  he  ate  of  the  honey,  but  still  he  told  no  one.  At 
his  marriage  feast  he  proposed  a  riddle  to  be  solved  within  the  seven 
days  of  the  feast,  for  a  stake  of  thirty  tunics  and  thirty  changes  of 
raiment.     It  was  this  : 

"  Out  of  the  eater  crime  forth  food, 
And  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweetness." 

His  wife  enticed  him  to  tell  her  the  riddle,  and  she  told  it  to  the 
men  of  the  city,  so  that  before  sunset  on  the  seventh  day  they  came 
to  Samson  and  said, 

"What  is  sweeter  than  honey? 
And  what  is  stronger  than  a  lion?" 

"  If  ye  had  not  ploughed  with  my  heifer,"  rejoined  Samson,  "  ye 
had  not  found  out  my  riddle."  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
again  upon  him,  and  going  down  to  Ashkelon,  he  slew  thirty  men 
of  the  city,  and  gave  their  apparel  to  their  fellow-countrymen  at 
Timnath,  who  had  expounded  the  riddle  (Judg.  xiv.). 

His  wife  soon  after  was  given  to  one  of  the  groomsmen.  On 
Sanson's  visiting  her,  her  father  refused  to  let  him  see  her,  when 
he  revenged  himself  by  taking  300  foxes  (or  rather  jackals),  and 
tying  them  together,  two  by  two,  by  the  tails,  with  a  fire-brand  be- 
tween every  pair  of  tails,  he  let  them  loose  into  the  standing  corn 
of  the  Philistines,  at  that  time  ready  for  harvest.  He  afterwards 
smote   the   Philistines  "hip  and  thigh,  with  a  great  slaughter," 


B.C.  1420-1095.    SAMSON  AND  THE  PHILISTINES.       133 

after  which  he  took  refuge  on  the  top  of  the  Rock  of  Etam,  m  the 
territory  of  Judah.  Then  the  Philistines  marched  against  the  men 
of  Judah,  who  hastened  to  make  their  peace  by  giving  up  Samson. 
Three  thousand  of  them  went  up  to  the  rock  to  bind  him,  and  he 
submitted  on  their  promise  not  to  fall  upon  him  themselves.  Bound 
with  two  new  cords,  he  was  brought  down  to  the  camp  of  the  Phi- 
listines, who  received  him  with  a  shout  of  triumph ;  but  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  came  mightily  upon  him.  He  broke  the  cords  like 
burnt  flax,  and,  finding  a  jaw-bone  of  an  ass  at  hand,  he  slew  with  it 
a  thousand  of  the  Philistines.  This  achievement  raised  Samson  to 
the  position  of  a  judge,  which  he  held  for  twenty  years  (Judg.  xv.). 

On  one  occasion,  while  he  was  at  Gaza,  the  Philistines  shut  the 
gates  of  the  city,  intending  to  kill  him  in  the  morning  ;  but  at  mid- 
night he  went  out  and  tore  away  the  gates,  with  the  posts  and  bar, 
and  carried  them  to  the  top  of  a  hill  looking  towards  Hebron. 
Next  he  fell  in  love  with  Delilah,  who  was  bribed  by  the  lords 
of  the  Philistines  to  entice  Samson  to  tell  her  wherein  his  great 
strength  lay,  and,  though  not  at  once  betraying  it,  he  played  with 
the  temptation.  Thrice  he  suft'ered  himself  to  be  bound,  first  with 
green  withes,  then  with  new  ropes,  and  afterwards  by  weaving  the 
seven  locks  of  his  hair  to  the  beam  of  a  loom,  and  each  time,  when 
Delilah  gave  the  signal,  "The  Philistines  are  upon  thee,  Samson,'' 
he  burst  his  bonds.  At  length  he  was  betrayed  into  the  presump- 
tion that  perhaps  his  strength  might  survive  the  loss  of  his  Nazarite's 
locks.  "Wearied  out  with  her  importunity,  he  at  last  told  her  all 
his  heart,  and  while  he  was  asleep  she  had  him  shaven  of  his  seven 
locks  of  hair,  and  his  strength  went  from  him.  Then  the  Philis- 
tines took  him,  put  out  his  eyes,  and  led  him  down  to  Gaza,  bound 
in  brazen  fetters,  and  made  him  grind  in  the  prison.  But  God  had 
not  deserted  His  champion,  though  He  had  allowed  him  to  be  so  se- 
verely punished.  As  his  hair  grew,  his  strength  returned.  In  a 
little  while,  the  lords  and  chief  people  of  the  Philistines  held  a  great 
feast  in  the  temple  of  their  god  Dagon,  to  celebrate  their  victory 
over  him.  Samson  was  brought  forth  to  make  sport  for  them,  and 
was  placed  between  the  two  chief  pillars  which  supported  the  roof 
of  the  house.  The  place  was  crowded  witli  spectators  to  the  num. 
ber  of  three  thousand.  After  praying  to  the  Lord  to  strengthen 
him,  that  he  might  be  avenged  of  the  Philistines  for  the  loss  of  his 
eyes,  he  bore  with  all  his  might  upon  the  two  pillars,  and  the  house 
fell  upon  the  lords  and  all  the  people,  and  he  died  with  them.  "  So 
the  dead  which  he  slew  at  his  death  were  more  than  they  which  he 
slew  in  his  life  "  (Judg.  xvi.). 

XV.  The  loss  of  Samson  was  more  than  supplied  by  Samuel,  the 
Fifteenth  and  last  of  the  Judges;  the  first  of  the  Prophets,  and  tho 


13(3  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

founder  of  the  Monarchy.  His  name  is  expressive  of  the  leading 
feature  of  his  whole  history — the  power  of  prayer.  The  attitude  and 
expression  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds's  well-known  picture  is  that  of 
Samuel's  whole  life.  His  father,  Elkanah,  had  two  wives,  one  of 
whom,  named  Hannah,  was  barren.  With  a  pious  regularity  the 
whole  family  went  up  yearly  to  worship  and  sacrifice  to  the  Lord  at 
Shiloh,  where  Eli  ministered  as  high-priest,  assisted  by  his  sons 
Hophni  and  Phinehas,  as  priests.  In  bitterness  of  soul,  because  she 
had  no  children,  Hannah  prayed  for  a  son,  whom  she  vowed  to 
dedicate  to  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  his  life  as  a  Nazaritc.  She 
prayed  silently  in  her  heart,  but  her  lips  moved,  and  Eli,  thinking 
that  she  was  drunk  after  the  feast,  reproved  her  severely;  but,  dis- 
covering his  mistake,  he  gave  her  his  blessing,  praying  that  God 
would  grant  her  petition.  She  returned  with  joy  to  Ramah,  and  in 
due  time  bore  a  son,  and  called  him  Samuel.  When  the  child  was 
weaned,  she  presented  him  before  the  Lord  at  Shiloh,  to  abide  there 
forever  (1  Sam.  i.). 

As  the  child  grew  up,  he  ministered  unto  the  Lord  before  Eli 
the  priest.  His  growth  in  favor  with  God  and  man  formed  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  shameful  profanation  of  the  tabernacle  byr  the 
sons  of  Eli,  who  were  "sons  of  Belial."  They  made  themselves 
vile,  and  their  father  did  not  use  his  authority  as  high-priest  to  re- 
strain them.  Therefore  a  prophet  was  sent  to  denounce  the  de- 
struction of  the  house  of  Eli,  as  a  sign  of  which  both  his  sons  should 
be  slain  in  one  daj7,  and  a  faithful  priest  should  be  raised  up  in  his 
place.  Another  warning  was  sent  to  Eli  by  the  mouth  of  the 
youthful  Samuel.  One  night,  after  he  had  lain  down  to  sleep,  the 
Lord  called  to  him  by  name,  and  he  answered,  "  Here  am  I,"  and 
ran  to  Eli,  thinking  that  he  had  called  him.  This  was  repeated 
thrice,  when  the  high-priest  perceived  that  the  Lord  had  called  the 
child.  Then  the  word  of  God  came  to  Samuel,  confirming  in  more 
terrible  terms  the  sentence  already  pronounced  upon  the  house  of 
Eli.  In  the  morning  Samuel  opened  the  doors  of  the  tabernacle, 
as  usual,  and,  being  solemnly  adjured  by  Eli,  he  told  him  all  that 
the  Lord  had  said.  "It  is  the  Lord,"  answered  Eli ;  "let  him  do 
what  seemeth  him  good."  From  that  day  Samuel  was  a  prophet 
of  the  Lord,  and  all  Israel,  from  Dan  even  to  Beersheba,  knew  it 
(1  Sam,  iii.). 

New  hostilities  soon  broke  out  between  the  Philistines  and  the 
Israelites.  In  the  first  of  the  three  great  battles  which  were  fought 
at  this  time,  the  Israelites  were  defeated  with  the  loss  of  4000  men. 
Then  the  elders  of  Israel  said,  "Let  us  fetch  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant of  the  Lord  out  of  Shiloh  unto  us,  that  when  it  cometh  among 
us,  it  may  save  us  nut  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies."     It  was  a  su. 


B.C.  1420-1095.    CAPTURE  OF  THE  ARK.  137 

perstitious  hope  that  the  mere  symbol  of  God's  presence  would  be 
sufficient  to  protect  them.  Accordingly,  the  ark  was  brought  from 
Sliiloh  by  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  (it  ministers  of  such  a  sacrilegious 
act:  when  it  came  into  the  camp,  the  Israelites  shouted  with  a 
great  shout,  and  the  Philistines  were  afraid,  believing  that  the  gods 
of  the  Hebrews  had  come.  They  fought,  therefore,  with  the  cour- 
age of  despair;  Israel  was  smitten,  30,000  men  were  slain,  among 
them  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  and  the  ark  of  God  was  taken  (1  Sam 
iv.  4-11). 

A  man  of  Benjamin  ran  out  of  the  army  and  carried  the  news  to 
Shiloh,  his  clothes  rent  and  earth  upon  his  head,  in  sign  of  the  deep- 
est mourning.  As  Eli  sat  by  the  wayside  watching  for  tidings,  and 
trembling  for  the  ark  of  God,  he  heard  the  cry  of  grief  and  horror 
raised  by  the  whole  city.  "What  meaneth  the  noise  of  this  tu- 
mult?" he  asked.  Then  the  men  came  in  hastily  and  told  Eli. 
The  old  man  heard  in  silence  the  fate  of  the  army,  and  the  loss  of 
his  two  sons;  but  when  he  was  told  that  the  ark  of  God  was  taken, 
he  fell  backward  and  broke  his  neck  and  died,  for  he  was  an  old 
man  and  heavy.  He  was  ninety-eight  years  of  age,  and  had  judged 
Israel  forty  years.  The  troubles  of  the  day  were,  however,  not  yet 
ended.  The  wife  of  Phinehas,  on  hearing  the  news,  was  seized  with 
premature  labor,  and  died  in  giving  birth  to  a  son,  whom  with  her 
last  breath  she  named  Ichabod,  for  she  said,  "  The  glory  is  departed 
from  Israel,"  because  the  ark  of  God  was  taken.  Such  was  the 
fearful  issue  of  the  second  battle  of  Ebenezer  (1  Sam.  iv.  19-22). 

The  ark  was  carried  by  the  Philistines  to  Ashdod  (Azotus),  and 
placed  as  a  trophy  in  the  temple  of  their  god  Dagon.  But  the 
very  next  morning  their  god  was  found  thrown  down  with  his  face 
to  the  ground,  and  the  same  thing  happened  again.  Next  the  men 
of  Ashdod  were  smitten,  many  with  death,  and  others  with  a  painful 
complaint.  They  refused,  therefore,  to  keep  the  ark  any  longer; 
and  it  was  carried  first  to  Gath,  and  then  to  Ekron,  only  to  inflict 
the  like  plagues  and  slaughter  on  those  cities.  For  seven  months 
the  ark  was  thus  carried  about  through  the  cities  of  the  Philistines, 
and  at  length  they  resolved  to  send  it  back.  By  the  advice  of  their 
priests  and  diviners,  they  made  a  new  cart,  on  which  they  placed 
the  ark,  and  by  its  side  a  coffer  containing  jewels  of  gold  for  a  tres- 
pass-offering. They  harnessed  to  the  cart  two  milch-cows  that  had 
never  borne  the  yoke,  and  shut  up  their  calves  at  home  ;  and  then, 
to  find  out  whether  the  Lord  had  done  them  this  great  evil,  they 
anxiously  waited  to  see  which  road  the  cows  would  take.  They 
went  straight  up  the  road  from  Ekron  to  Beth-shemesh,  lowing  af- 
ter their  calves,  but  never  turning  aside,  followed  by  five  lords  of  the 
Philistines  to  see  the  end.     The  cart  reached  the  held  of  Joshua, 


138  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  IX. 

where  the  men  of  Beth-shemesh  were  reaping,  and  they  rejoiced  to 
see  it.  The  Levites  at  once  took  down  the  ark  and  coffer,  cut  up 
the  cart,  and  used  the  wood  in  sacrificing  the  cows  as  a  burnt-offer- 
ing. Overcome,  however,  by  curiosity,  the  men  of  Beth-shemesh 
looked  into  the  ark,  and  the  Lord  smote  50,070  of  them  with  death. 
Then  they  sent  to  the  men  of  Kirjath-jearim  to  fetch  away  the  ark, 
and  in  that  city  it  remained  till  David  removed  it  to  Jerusalem 
(1  Sam.  vi.  10-21). 

For  twenty  years  the  people  mourned  for  the  absence  of  the  ark 
from  Shiloh,  and  groaned  under  the  oppression  of  the  Philistines, 
till  Samuel  called  them  to  repentance.  If,  he  said,  they  would  put 
away  all  false  gods,  and  would  prepare  their  hearts  to  serve  the 
Lord,  then  he  would  deliver  them  from  the  hand  of  the  Philistines. 
And  they  did  so.  Then  Samuel  gathered  all  Israel  at  Mizpeh, 
that  he  might  pray  for  them  to  the  Lord.  When  the  Philistines 
heard  of  this  gathering,  they  mustered  their  forces,  and  as  Samuel 
was  in  the  very  act  of  offering  a  burnt-offering  and  praying  to  the 
Lord  for  Israel,  the  Philistines  drew  near  in  battle  array.  But  God 
answered  the  prayers  of  Samuel  by  sending  a  violent  storm  of  thun- 
der, which  discomfited  the  Philistines,  and  they  were  defeated  by 
the  Israelites.  As  a  memorial  of  the  victory,  Samuel  set  up  a  stone 
between  Mizpeh  and  Shen,  and  called  it  Eben-ezer,  saying,  "  Hith- 
erto hath  the  Lord  helped  us."  This  third  battle  was  fought  on  the 
same  ground  as  the  other  two  (1  Sam.  vii.  7-12). 

So  the  Philistines  were  subdued ;  the  cities  which  they  had  taken 
from  the  Israelites  were  restored,  and  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was 
against  them  all  the  days  of  Samuel.  He  was  now,  if  not  before, 
constituted  the  Judge  of  Israel— the  last  who  held  that  office  before 
the  monarchy.  His  house  was  at  Ramah ;  there  he  built  an  altar 
unto  the  Lord.  From  year  to  year  he  went  in  circuit  to  Bethel, 
Gilgal,  and  Mizpeh,  and  judged  the  people  at  all  four  places.  In 
his  old  age  he  made  his  sons  Joel  and  Abiah  judges;  they  acted, 
probably,  as  his  deputies,  and  dwelt  at  Beersheha.  But  they  did 
not  walk  in  his  ways.  The  elders  of  Israel,  therefore,  came  to  Sam- 
uel, and  said,  "  Behold  thou  art  old;  thy  sons  walk  not  in  thy 
ways ;  now  make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all  the  nations  "  (1  Sam, 
viii.  1-5). 

It  was  a  trying  moment  for  Samuel  as  a  man,  a  father,  and  a 
prophet  of  the"  Lord.  "The  thing  displeased  Samuel."  He  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  resource  that  never  failed  him ;  "  he  prayed  unto 
the  Lord."  The  answer  he  received  was,  "Hearken  unto  the  voice 
of  the  people ;  they  have  not  rejected  thee,  but  they  have  rejected 
Me  from  reigning  over  them."  These  words  are  the  key  to  the 
whole  history  of  the  Hebrew  monarchy.     Samuel  was  instructed  to 


B.C.  **26-1095.     DEMAND  FOR  A  KING. 


139 


grant  them  their  request,  but  not  till  he  had  first  solemnly  pointed 
out  how  the  king  would  act  that  should  reign  over  them.  His 
warning  had  no  eU'ect.  "We  will  have  a  king  over  us,"  they  said, 
"that  we  may  be  like  other  nations,  and  that  our  king  may  judge 
us,  and  lead  us  out  to  battle."  Receiving  a  command  again  from 
God  to  make  them  a  king,  Samuel  sent  them  back  to  their  cities,  to 
await  the  man  selected  for  them  in  the  providence  of  God  (1  Sam. 
«ii.). 


^asyrbui  fi*h-god  Duvkina,  or  Dagou  (Luyard). 


Assyrian  kin<r  in  his  robes. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    REIGN    OF    SAUL. — B.C.  1095-1056. 

The  future  King  of  Israel  was  Saul,  the  son  of  Kisli,  of  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin,  "a  choice  young  man  and  a  goodly;  from  his  shoul- 
ders and  upward  he  was  taller  than  any  of  the  people."  Though 
called  "a  young  man,"  he  was  probably  not  less  than  forty,  for 
Jonathan,  his  eldest  son,  appears  as  a  warrior  the  year  after  Saul's 
accession  ;  and  Ish-bosheth,  his  younger  son,  was  forty  years  old  at 
hi<  father's  death  (2  Sam.  ii.  10).  Saul  was  led  to  Samuel  to  be 
anointed  to  his  future  office  by  what  might  have  seemed  to  the  eyes 
of  men  an  accident.  His  father  having  lost  his  asses,  sent  Saul 
with  a  servant  in  search  of  them.  They  passed  through  Mount 
Ephraim  and  the  land  of  the  Benjamites,  and  came  to  the  neighbor* 
hood  of  Ram  ah,  where  Samuel  dwelt.  Saul  now  proposed  to  return, 
but  the  servant  told  him  that  in  the  city  which  they  were  approach- 


B.C.  1095-1056.       ANOINTING  OF  SAUL.  Ul 

ir.g  there  dwelt  a  man  of  God  all  whose  words  came  to  pass  —  per- 
haps he  could  direct  them  where  to  find  the  asses.  Accordingly 
they  went  on,  ascended  the  bill  on  which  the  city  stood,  and  just  as 
they  were  entering  it  they  were  met  hy  Samuel,  who  was  on  his  way 
to  bless  a  sacrifice  and  festival  the  people  were  holding.  He  was 
prepared  for  the  interview.  God  had  told  him  the  day  before  that 
He  would  send  to  him  on  the  morrow  a  Benjamite  whom  lie  was  to 
anoint  to  be  captain  over  Israel,  to  deliver  the  people  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  Philistines.  When  Samuel  saw  Saul,  the  Lord  said 
unto  him,  "Bchoid  the  man  whom  I  spake  to  thee  of."  He  made 
himself  known  to  Saul  as  the  seer  whom  he  was  seeking,  and  having 
told  him  that  his  father's  asses  were  found,  he  astonished  him  by 
saying,  "On  whom  is  all  the  desire  of  Israel  ?  Is  it  not  on  thee 
and  on  all  thy  father's  house  ?"  Waiting  as  the  people  were  for 
their  destined  king,  Saul  could  not  misunderstand  what  Samuel 
meant.  "Am  not  I  a  Benjamite,"  he  replied,  "of  the  smallest  of 
the  tribes  of  Israel ;  my  family  the  least  of  all  the  families  of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin?  Why  speakest  thou  so  to  me?"  Samuel 
made  no  reply,  but  took  Saul  and  his  servant  into  the  banqueting- 
chamber  on  the  high  place,  and  seated  them  above  all  the  thirty 
guests  who  were  assembled.  Samuel  then  ordered  the  cook  to 
place  before  Saul  the  shoulder,  the  choicest  part  of  the  sacrifice, 
which  had  been  kept  for  an  expected  guest.  After  the  banquet, 
they  went  down  from  the  high  place  to  the  city,  and  Samuel  lodged 
Saul  on  the  top  of  his  house  —  a  favorite  sleeping-place  in  the 
East. 

At  day-break  the  prophet  awakened  his  guest,  and  they  went 
forth  together  out  of  the  city  ;  the  servant  having  been  sent  on 
before,  Samuel  bade  Saul  stand  still  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 
Then  the  prophet  took  a  phial  of  oil  and  poured  it  on  Saul's  head, 
adding  the  kiss  of  homage,  and  telling  him  that  the  Lord  had 
anointed  him  to  be  captain  over  his  inheritance.  Samuel  named 
three  incidents  that  would  happen  to  Saul  on  his  return,  as  signs 
that  the  Lord  was  with  him,  the  last  of  which  was  that  he  should 
he  turned  into  another  man.  All  of  them  came  to  pass  that  day 
in  their  order,  as  Samuel  had  said.  When  he  reached  "the  hill  of 
God,"  probably  Gibeah,  which  was  occupied  by  a  garrison  of  the 
Philistines,  a  company  of  prophets,  coming  down  from  the  high 
place  with  instruments  of  music,  met  him,  and  the  Spirit  of  God 
came  upon  him  and  he  began  to  prophesy.  This  sign  of  his  inspi- 
ration excited  so  much  astonishment  among  all  who  had  formerly 
known  him,  that  they  said,  "What  is  this  that  has  come  unto  the  son 
of  Kish  ?"  In  words  which  have  since  become  proverbial,  they  asked, 
"Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets?"      After  being  thus  privately 


142  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X. 

designated  to  his  office  by  Samuel,  Saul  returned  to  his  home  (1 
Sam.  x.  1-1G). 

The  time  soon  came  for  his  public  manifestation  to  Israel. 
Samuel  called  the  people  together  at  Mizpeh,  and  after  once  more 
reproving  them  for  rejecting  God  and  resolving  to  have  a  visible 
ruler,  he  called  on  them  to  present  themselves  before  the  Lord  by 
their  tribes  and  by  their  thousands.  Having  set  apart  first  of  all 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  and  then  out  of  that  tribe  the  family  of 
Matri,  Saul,  the  son  of  Kish,  was  the  person  chosen,  but  he  could 
not  be  found.  Again  they  consulted  the  Lord,  who  revealed  his 
hiding-place.  He  was  brought  into  the  midst  of  the  congregation, 
towering  above  all  the  people  from  his  shoulders  upward.  Samuel 
presented  him  before  them  as  the  king  whom  the  Lord  had  cho- 
sen, and  all  the  people  shouted  and  said,  "God  save  the  king." 
Though  God  was  thus  giving  the  people  their  own  desire,  the  Bible 
nowhere  says  that  Saul  was  the  man  best  fitted  for  the  King  of 
Israel.  Samuel  then  sent  all  the  people  away,  and  Saul  retired 
to  his  home  at  Gibeah.  A  band  of  men  whose  hearts  God  had 
touched  went  with  him  ;  some  few  "  men  of  Belial  "  despised  him, 
and  brought  him  no  presents,  but  he  held  his  peace  (1  Sam.  x. 
17-27). 

During  the  later  years  of  Samuel  the  enemies  of  Israel  had 
gained  strength.  Nahash  the  Ammonite  now  marched  against 
Jabesh-Gilead,  and  the  men  of  Jabesh  offered  to  serve  him  if  he 
would  make  a  treaty  with  them.  He  would  consent  only  on  the 
cruel  terms  of  putting  out  the  right  eyes  of  all  the  people,  and 
laying  it  as  a  disgrace  on  Israel.  Obtaining  a  respite  of  seven 
days,  they  sent  for  help  to  Saul  at  Gibeah.  He  was  returning 
with  his  cattle  from  the  field  when  he  heard  the  cry  of  the  people 
at  the  tidings.  Then  the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  him  ;  fired  with 
indignation,  he  summoned  Israel  to  the  field  by  a  powerful  token. 
Cutting  a  yoke  of  oxen  into  small  pieces,  he  sent  them  throughout 
all  Israel,  saying,  "So  shall  it  be  done  to  the  oxen  of  him  who 
cometh  not  forth  after  Saul  and  after  Samuel."  Three  hundred 
thousand  warriors  of  Israel  and  30,000  of  Judah  answered  the  sum- 
mons. With  his  army  in  three  divisions,  he  fell  upon  the  Ammon- 
ites and  slaughtered  them,  till  the  heat  of  the  day  put  an  end  to  the 
pursuit.  Then  the  people  called  on  Samuel  to  put  to  death  the 
men  who  had  despised  the  new-made  king;  but  Saul  said  that  not 
a  man  should  be  put  to  death  on  that  day  in  which  the  Lord  had 
saved  Israel  (1  Sam.  xi.  12,  13). 

Saul  was  now  once  more  solemnly  inaugurated  into  his  kingly 
office.  "Come,"  said  Samuel  to  the  people,  "let  us  go  to  Gil- 
gal  and  renew  the  kingdom  there."     And  there  they  made  Sau] 


B.C.  1095-105G.    JONATHAN,  SON  OF  SAUL.  1 13 

king;  there  they  held  a  high  festival  with  sacrifices  to  the  Lord. 
But  their  joy  was  not  unminglcd.  Behold,  said  Samuel  to  all  Is- 
rael, I  have  granted  your  desire  ;  I  have  made  you  a  king  who  now 
walketh  before  you.  But  I  am  old  and  gray-headed ;  I  have 
walked  before  you  from  my  childhood  unto  this  day.  Witness 
against  me  before  the  Lord.  Have  I  defrauded  or  oppressed  any? 
Have  I  received  a  bribe  from  any?  They  all  replied  that  he  had 
not.  He  then  reasoned  with  them  of  all  that  God  had  done  for 
ihem  from  the  time  that  Jacob  went  down  to  Egypt  till  that  hour. 
Now,  then,  they  had  their  king  whom  the  Lord  had  set  over  them. 
If  they  would  fear  the  Lord  and  serve  Him,  both  king  and  people 
should  continue  to  be  His ;  but  if  they  were  rebellious,  His  hand 
would  be  against  them  as  it  had  been  against  their  fathers.  Then 
pointing  to  the  sky,  which  was  clear  and  cloudless  (for  it  was  the 
season  of  the  wheat-harvest),  he  called  unto  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
sent  thunder  and  rain  to  confirm  his  words.  After  protesting  that 
he  would  never  cease  to  pray  for  them,  and  to  teach  them  the  good 
and  right  way,  with  these  words  of  comfort  Samuel  closed  his  public 
life  as  the  sole  judge  of  Israel  (1  Sam.  xii.).  But  his  office  was 
not  entirely  laid  aside.  He  never  ceased  all  the  days  of  his  life  to 
exercise  an  authority  over  Saul  as  the  special  messenger  of  the 
Lord,  checking  his  willfulness,  and  directing  him  on  great  occa- 
sions. 

Thus  was  the  first  year  of  Saul's  reign  occupied.  In  the  second, 
he  gathered  a  chosen  band  of  3000  men,  2000  of  whom  were  with 
him  in  the  camp  at  Michmash  and  the  hills  of  Bethel,  while  the 
other  1000  were  at  Gibeah  with  his  eldest  son  Jonathan,  whose 
name  now  first  appears  in  the  history.  At  this  time,  it  appears, 
there  were  garrisons  of  the  Philistines  in  the  hills  in  the  south  of 
Palestine.  Jonathan's  successful  attack  on  one  of  these  in  the  hill 
of  Geba,  opposite  Michmash,  was  the  signal  for  Saul's  summoning 
the  Israelites  to  war  to  drive  the  rest  out  of  the  land.  The  king 
fixed  his  camp  at  Gilgal.  The  Philistines  answered  his  challenge 
with  an  immense  army,  and  encamped  at  Michmash.  In  the  pres- 
ence of  this  powerful  host  the  Israelites  began  to  fall  away,  hiding 
themselves  in  woods  and  caves  and  the  fastnesses  of  the  rocks. 
Saul,  however,  remained  in  Gilgal,  but  even  the  people  who  follow- 
ed him  trembled.  After  waiting  seven  days  for  Samuel  to  come 
and  offer  sacrifice,  while  his  forces  were  rapidly  dwindling  away, 
on  the  seventh  day  the  king  ventured  to  begin  the  sacrifices  him- 
self. He  had  just  ended  the  burnt-offering,  when  Samuel  arrived 
and  said,  "What  hast  thou  done?"  Saul  pleaded  that  he  was 
afraid  that  the  Philistines  would  come  down  the  pass  to  attack  him 
at  Gilgal  before  he  had  made  supplication  to  the  Lord.      "Thou 


Hi  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X. 

hast  done  foolishly,"  said  Samuel.  Tims  early  he  told  him  pri- 
vately that  by  reason  of  his  disobedience  liis  kingdom  should  not 
be  lasting.  "  The  Lord  hath  sought  Him  a  man  after  His  own 
heart  to  be  captain  over  His  people."  Samuel  then  went  away  to 
Gibeah,  and  Saul  followed  with  his  little  band  of  only  600  men 
(1  Sam.  xiii.  1-15). 

Meanwhile  the  Philistines  overran  the  country  from  their  head- 
quarters at  Michmash,  whence  three  bauds  of  spoilers  issued  forth. 
In  this  extremity  an  unlooked-for  deliverance  was  effected  by  God's 
blessing  upon  the  daring  valor  of  Jonathan.  Without  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  father  he  planned  a  surprise  of  the  Philistine  camp. 
He  said  to  his  armor-bearer,  "  Come  and  let  us  go  over  unto  the 
garrison  of  these  uncircumcised  ;  it  may  be  that  the  Lord  will  work 
for  us;  for  there  is  no  restraint  to  the  Lord  to  save  by  many  or  by 
few."  Climbing  with  hands  and  feet,  his  armor-bearer  after  him, 
up  the  face  of  the  precipice,  they  fell  upon  the  enemy,  and  at  this 
first  onset  killed  about  twenty  men  ;  the  rest  were  seized  by  a  pan- 
ic, which  was  increased  by  an  earthquake,  and  went  on  striking 
down  each  other.  The  scene  was  witnessed  with  amazement  by 
the  watchmen  in  Saul's  camp  at  Gibeah,  and,  as  the  noise  in  the 
Philistine  cam])  increased,  Saul  rushed  to  the  pursuit,  driving  the 
foe  down  the  pass  of  Beth-aven.  That  he  might  be  avenged  on  his 
enemies,  Saul  had  adjured  a  curse  upon  the  man  who  should  stop 
to  taste  food  until  sunset;  the  people,  therefore,  were  unable,  from 
exhaustion,  to  make  the  most  of  their  advantage.  As  they  passed 
through  a  wood  where  the  wild  bees  built  their  combs  in  the  trees 
in  such  numbers  that  the  honey  dropped  upon  the  ground,  no  man 
dared  take  any  ;  but  Jonathan,  in  ignorance  of  his  father's  rash 
vow,  dipped  the  end  of  his  staff  in  a  honey-comb,  and  put  it  to  his 
mouth.  When  evening  came,  the^  famished  people  flew  upon  the 
spoil  and  began  to  eat  the  cattle  with  the  blood.  Saul  reproved 
ihem  for  their  sin  ;  and  building  an  altar,  the  first  that  he  had  built 
t;nto  the  Lord,  he  bade  the  people  bring  their  oxen  and  slay  them 
there.  He  then  asked  counsel  of  God :  but  receiving  no  answer, 
he  said  that  the  man  who  had  committed  sin,  even  though  it  were 
Jonathan  his  son,  should  surely  die.  The  lot  fell  upon  Jonathan. 
"What  hast  thou  done?"  said  Saul.  "I  did  but  taste  a  little 
honey,"  he  replied.  "Thou  shalt  surely  die,"  Saul  answered; 
and  he  would  have  kept  his  oath,  but  the  people  rescued  Jonathan 
(1  Sam.  xiv.  33-45). 

This  engagement  was  followed  by  a  series  of  victories  over  all 
the  other  enemies  of  Israel — Moab,  Amnion,  Edom,  as  well  as  the 
Philistines.  The  twofold  object  was  thus  attained  of  giving  Israel 
ihe  promised  bounds  of  their  possession  «>id  of  punishing  those  na- 


B.C.  1095  1056.       REJECTION  OF  SAUL.  145 

tions  for  their  past  sins.  Saul  now  received  a  special  commission 
to  execute  the  vengeance  long  since  denounced  on  Amalek  for  their 
treacherous  attack  on  Israel  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  (Deut.  xxv. 
17-19).  "Now  go  and  smite  Amalek,"  Samuel  was  directed  to 
say  to  him,  "and  utterly  destroy  all  that  they  have,  man  and  wom- 
an, infant  and  suckling,  ox  and  sheep,  camel  and  ass."  Saul  then 
gathered  together  all  the  forces  of  Israel,  200,000  infantry  besides 
10,000  of  Judah,  at  Telaim,  on  the  edge  of  the  southern  desert. 
Having  first  warned  the  Kenites,  the  old  allies  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  to  depart  from  among  the  Amalckites,  he  fell  upon  the  tribe 
of  Amalek,  and  pursued  them  with  great  slaughter  from  Havilah 
to  Shur,  on  the  frontier  of  Egypt.  Agag,  their  king,  was  taken 
prisoner,  hut  all  the  rest  of  the  people  were  put  to  death.  Saul 
spared  all  the  best  of  the  cattle  and  all  that  was  valuable,  but  de- 
stroyed all  that  was  vile  and  refuse.  No  doubt  he  intended  to  have 
offered  some  of  the  cattle  in  sacrifice  to  the  Lord,  hut  his  chief  mo- 
tive in  sparing  them  was  to  enrich  his  followers  with  the  spoil. 
Instead  of  finishing  the  destruction  of  the  fugitives,  he  returned  by 
way  of  Carmel  to  the  old  camp  of  Gilgal  (1  Sam.  xv.  1-12). 

Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Samuel,  saying,  "It  repent- 
eth  me  that  I  have  set  up  Saul  to  be  king,  for  he  hath  not  perform- 
ed my  commandments."  And  it  grieved  Samuel,  and  he  cried 
unto  the  Lord  all  night.  Early  in  the  morning  he  set  out  to  meet 
Saul:  on  seeing  him,  Saul,  with  affected  pleasure,  said,  "Blessed 
he  thou  of  the  Lord :  I  have  performed  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord."  "What  meaneth,  then,"  said  Samuel,  "this  bleating  of 
the  sheep  in  mine  ears,  and  the  lowing  of  the  oxen  which  I  hear?" 
Saul  replied  that  the  people  had  spared  these  for  sacrifice  while 
they  had  destroyed  the  rest.  Samuel  interrupted  his  excuses  by 
bidding  him  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord.  "When  thou  wast  little 
in  thine  own  sight,  did  not  the  Lord  anoint  thee  king  over  Israel? 
Did  not  the  Lord  say  to  thee,  Go  and  utterly  destroy  the  Ama- 
lekites?  Wherefore,  then,  didst  thou  not  obey  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  ?"  Saul  repeated  his  excuse,  throwing  the  blame  on  the  peo- 
ple. "  The  people,"  he  said,  '•  took  the  spoil  to  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord  in  Gilgal."  But  Samuel  replied,  "Hath  the  Lord  as  great- 
delight  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of 
the  Lord?  Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to 
hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams.  Because  thou  hast  rejected 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  He  hath  also  rejected  thee  from  being  king." 
Overwhelmed  with  remorse,  Saul  confessed  his  sin,  though  still 
pleading  that  he  had  erred  from  fear  of  the  people.  He  prayed 
Samuel  to  pardon  his  sin,  to  turn  back  with  him  and  join  him  in 
worshipping  the  Lord.      Samuel  refused.     As  he  turned  to  depart, 

K 


146  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X. 

Saul  laid  hold  of  his  mantle,  but  only  to  receive  a  new  sign  of  his 
fate.  The  mantle  was  rent,  and  Samuel  said,  "The  Lord  hath 
rent  the  kingdom  of  Israel  from  thee."  Saul  then  prayed  that  he 
might  be  saved  from  public  humiliation,  entreating  Samuel  to  hon- 
or him  before  the  people  by  turning  again  to  join  in  the  sacrifices. 
Samuel  consented,  but  he  used  the  opportunity  to  inflict  the  sen- 
ience  of  death  on  Agag.  This  was  Samuel's  last  interview  with 
Saul.  The  king  went  to  his  royal  residence  at  Gibeah,  and  the 
prophet  returned  to  his  house  at  Raman,  where  he  mourned  for 
Saul  with  a  prolonged  bitterness  (1  Sam.  xv.). 

Samuel  was  recalled  from  the  indulgence  of  his  grief  by  a  com= 
mand  from  the  Lord  to  fill  a  horn  with  the  consecrated  oil  laid  up 
in  the  tabernacle  and  to  go  to  Bethlehem,  where  God  had  chosen  a 
king  among  the  sons  of  Jesse,  the  grandson  of  Boaz  and  Ruth. 
"  How  can  I  go?"  said  Samuel.  "If  Saul  hear  of  it,  he  will  kill 
me."  He  was  directed  to  take  with  him  a  heifer,  and  invite  Jesse 
to  a  sacrifice.  His  arrival  caused  much  alarm  in  Bethlehem,  but 
he  assured  the  elders  of  the  town  that  be  came  in  peace,  and  bade 
them  and  the  house  of  Jesse  to  sanctify  themselves  for  the  sacrifice. 
When  they  were  come,  he  appears  to  have  made  known  his  errand. 
Jesse  caused  seven  of  his  sons  to  pass  before  Samuel ;  the  eighth 
and  youngest,  being  of  small  consideration  in  the  family,  was  tend- 
ing the  sheep.  Struck  with  the  noble  figure  of  the  eldest  son,  Sam- 
uel said  to  himself,  "  Surely  the  Lord's  anointed  is  before  me." 
He  was  warned  not  to  judge  a  second  time  by  so  false  a  standard. 
"  Look  not  on  his  countenance  or  on  the  height  of  his  stature,"  said 
the  Lord,  "because  I  have  refused  him.  The  Lord  seeth  not  as 
man  seeth.  Man  looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord 
looketh  on  the  heart."  In  like  manner  all  the  rest  of  the  seven 
were  rejected.  "The  Lord  hath  not  chosen  these,"  said  Samuel. 
"Are  all  thy  children  here?"  the  prophet  then  asked  Jesse.  No! 
there  still  remained  the  youngest,  who  was  with  the  sheep !  "  Send 
and  fetch  him,"  said  Samuel.  Soon  there  entered  a  youth  with 
reddish  or  auburn  hair  and  keen  bright  eyes,  his  whole  aspect  pleas- 
ant  to  behold.  Then  the  Lord  said  to  Samuel,  "Up  and  anoint 
him,  for  this  is  he."  And  there,  in  the  presence  of  Ii is  brethren, 
Samuel  poured  the  horn  of  sacred  oil  upon  his  head ;  and  having 
performed  this,  his  last  public  act,  he  returned  to  his  house  at  Ra. 
mah.  From  that  day  forth  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Da- 
vid (the  beloved),  for  such  was  the  name  of  Jesse's  youngest  son, 
the  new  "root"  of  the  princely  tribe  of  Judah,  the  first  true  king 
of  Israel,  and  after  Abraham  the  greatest  of  the  progenitors  of 
Christ  (1  Sam.  xvi.  1-13). 

From  various  sources  of  information  we  gather  that  David  was 


B.C.  1095-105G.    APPEARANCE  OF  DAVID.  147 

of  a  beautiful  though  not  a  commanding  person,  strong  and  agile, 
and  endowed  with  the  exquisite  organization  of  the  poet  and  the 
musician.  As  the  youngest  in  a  large  family,  he  was  subject  to 
the  scorn  of  his  elder  brothers,  and  his  occupation  as  a  shepherd 
was  that  usually  allotted  in  the  East  to  women,  servants,  and  de- 
pendents, as  we  see  in  the  cases  of  Rachel  and  Zipporah,  Jacob  and 
Moses.  But  these  apparent  disadvantages  became  the  very  life- 
springs  of  his  manly  and  devout  character.  The  descent  of  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  upon  him  was  the  sign  of  its  departure  from 
Saul :  the  king  began  to  be  depressed  with  the  foresight  of  his  fate, 
and  an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  terrified  him.  His  servants  per- 
suaded him  to  try  the  charms  of  music,  always  powerful  against 
melancholy,  and  thus  the  way  was  opened  for  David's  introduction 
to  the  court  of  Saul.  The  king  sent  to  Bethlehem  for  David,  who 
was  recommended  to  him  as  a  skillful  player  upon  the  harp.  Jesse 
sent  his  son  to  the  king  with  a  present,  and  so  that  harp  which  has 
since  cheered  many  a  troubled  spirit  was  employed  to  refresh  the 
soul  of  Saul  and  dispel  his  evil  fancies  (1  Sam.  xvi.  14-23).  Saul's 
crowning  act  of  disobedience  was  followed  by  a  fresh  assault  of  his 
enemies.  The  Philistines  gathered  together  their  armies  at  Ephes- 
dammim  (the  Bounds  of  Blood),  between  Shochoh  and  Azekah, 
and  Saul  and  the  men  of  Israel  went  forth  to  oppose  them.  The 
camps  of  Philistia  and  of  Israel  were  pitched  upon  two  opposite 
heights,  separated  by  the  valley  of  Elah,  across  which  the  hosts,  in 
battle-array,  confronted  one  another  day  after  day.  Every  morn- 
ing a  champion  of  Gatli,  named  Goliath,  came  forth  out  of  the 
camp  of  the  Philistines  and  stalked  down  into  the  valley  to  offer 
single  combat.  It  has  been  conjectured  that  he  was  one  of  the  gi- 
ant race  of  the  Rephaim,  some  of  whom  took  refuge  from  the  Am- 
monites with  the  Philistines.  His  height  was  six  cubits  and  a 
span — nearly  eight  feet.  He  was  armed  from  head  to  foot  in  ar- 
mor of  brass.  His  spear-head  was  of  iron,  and  its  shaft  was  like 
a  weaver's  beam.  Before  him  marched  an  armor-hearer  carrying 
his  shield.  Forty  days  running  be  challenged  the  servants  of  Saul 
to  find  a  man  to  meet  him,  a  free-born  Philistine,  and  he  proposed 
that  the  nation  whose  champion  was  defeated  should  serve  the  oth- 
er. His  appearance  and  challenge  struck  dismay  into  Saul  and  al! 
his  people. 

During  this  period,  David  went  to  the  camp  on  a  visit  to  his 
brethren.  He  arrived  just  at  the  moment  when  both  armies  were 
drawn  up,  and  the  battle-cry  was  already  raised.  He  instantly  ran 
into  the  ranks  where  his  brethren  stood.  As  he  was  talking  with 
them,  behold,  the  Philistine  champion  Goliath  came  up  and  uttered 
hia  defiance,  and  all  who  stood  near  fled  from  him.     David,  moved 


148  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X. 

with  indignation,  asked,  "Who  is  this  Philistine  that  he  should 
defy  the  armies  of  the  living  God?"  The  men  of  Israel  told  him 
that  Saul  would  give  his  own  daughter  to  the  man  who  killed  him, 
would  enrich  him  greatly,  and  make  his  house  free  in  Israel. 
Heedless  of  the  taunts  of  Eliab,  his  eldest  brother,  who  upbraided 
him  with  neglecting  "his  few  sheep  in  the  wilderness,"  David  re- 
peated  his  question  till  his  words  came  to  the  ears  of  Saul.  The 
king  sent  for  him,  when  David  said,  "Let  no  man's  heart  fail  be- 
cause of  him  ;  thy  servant  will  go  and  fight  with  this  Philistine." 
With  generous  anxiety  Saul  reminded  Kim  he  was  but  a  youth, 
and  the  Philistine  a  warrior  from  his  youth.  David  then  related 
how  he  had  slain  both  a  lion  and  a  bear,  and  pleaded  that  the 
Lord,  who  had  delivered  him  out  of  the  paw  of  the  lion  and  out  of 
the  paw  of  the  bear,  would  also  deliver  him  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Philistine.  "Go,  and  the  Lord  be  with  thee,"  said  Saul.  He 
armed  David  for  the  combat  in  his  own  armor,  and  girded  him 
with  his  own  sword ;  but  the  young  man  after  the  first  few  steps 
cast  off  the  armor,  as  he  had  not  proved  it,  and  betook  himself  to 
those  shepherds'  weapons,  for  their  skill  in  which  his  countrymen 
were  famous.  Taking  his  staff  and  sling  in  li is  hand,  he  stooped 
down  and  picked  up  five  smooth  stones  out  of  the  brook,  and,  placing 
them  in  his  pouch,  he  drew  near  to  the  Philistine.  On  seeing  Da- 
vid, he  disdained  him  ;  and  his  scorn  for  the  ruddy  and  hand- 
some youth  swelled  into  rage  at  the  mode  of  his  attack.  "Am  I  a 
dog,"  lie  said,  "that  thou  comest  to  me  with  staves?  I  will  give 
thy  flesh  unto  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  to  the  beasts  of  the  field." 
David  answered  his  threats  with  the  calm  certainty  of  victory. 
"Thou  comest  to  me,"  he  said,  "with  a  sword,  with  a  spear,  and 
with  a  shield  ;  but  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts, 
the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  whom  thou  hast  defied."  Both 
then  advanced,  but  before  his  foe  came  close,  David  took  a  stone 
from  his  bag  and  slung  it  into  the  forehead  of  the  Philistine,  who 
fell  upon  his  face  to  the  ground.  David  then  rushed  in  and  stood 
upon  him,  and  drawing  the  Philistine's  own  sword  from  its  sheath, 
he  cut  off  his  head.  As  soon  as  the  Philistines  saw  that  their 
champion  was  dead,  they  fled,  and  were  pursued  by  Israel  with 
great  slaughter  as  far  as  Gath  and  even  to  the  gates  of  Ekron, 
whence  the  victors  returned  to  spoil  the  camp  of  their  enemies. 
David's  own  trophies  were  the  head,  the  armor,  and  the  sword  of 
the  fallen  champion.  The  first  he  carried  to  Jerusalem ;  the  sec- 
ond he  placed  in  his  own  tent  (1  Sam.  xvii.  20-54). 

When  Saul  saw  David  go  forth  to  the  encounter,  he  asked  Abnef 
whose  8on  the  young  man  was,  but  Abner  could  not  tell  him. 
Some  time  had  probably  elapsed  since  David  had  left  the  court  to 


B.C.  1095-105G.    SAUL  JEALOUS  OF  DAVID.  149 

feed  Lis  father's  sheep  at  Bethlehem.  When  Abner  ushered  the 
youth  into  the  king's  presence  with  the  head  of  the  Philistine  in 
hii  hand,  Saul  repeated  his  inquiry  of  David  himself.  "  I  am  the 
son  of  thy  servant  Jesse  the  Bethlehemite,"  he  replied.  Saul  de- 
tained him  at  his  court,  and  "  would  let  him  go  no  more  home  to 
his  father's  house,"  while  Jonathan  his  son  "  loved  him  as  his  own 
soul."  David  and  he  made  a  covenant,  which  was  faithfully  ob- 
served even  when  Saul  became  David's  enemy;  and,  according  te 
the  custom  in  such  cases,  Jonathan  clothed  David  with  his  own 
garments,  to  his  sword  and  bow  and  girdle.  In  this  new  position, 
David  became  distinguished  for  his  prudence.  Employed  by  the 
king  in  various  important  matters,  he  is  repeatedly  said  "  to  have 
behaved  himself  wisely  in  all  his  ways."  He  needed  it  all,  for 
Saul's  love  for  him  soon  began  to  turn  to  jealousy.  The  first  oc- 
casion for  this  feeling  was  given  by  the  songs  of  the  Hebrew  wom- 
en who  came  out  of  every  city  to  greet  the  victors  on  their  return 
from  the  war  witli  the  Philistines.  As  they  trooped  forth  with  in- 
struments of  music,  singing  and  dancing,  they  cried  one  to  another, 

Saul  hath  slain  his  thousands, 
And  David  his  ten  thousands. 

From  that  hour  Saul  viewed  David  with  an  evil  eye.  On  the 
very  next  day,  he  twice  cast  his  spear  at  him  as  he  sat  at  the  royal 
table,  and  David  escaped  only  by  fleeing  from  his  presence.  Saul 
then  removed  him  from  his  office  about  his  person,  and  made  him 
captain  over  a  thousand,  but  the  only  result  was  that  David  became 
better  known  and  more  beloved  by  all  the  people.  Saul  then  be- 
gan to  plot  more  systematically  against  his  life.  He  offered  to  give 
him  his  elder  daughter  Merab,  urging  him  to  win  the  prize  by  new 
enterprises,  in  which  he  hoped  that  he  might  fall  by  the  hand  of  the 
Philistines.  But  when  the  time  fixed  for  the  marriage  arrived,  he 
gave  her  to  another.  Meanwhile  Saul's  second  daughter  Michal 
had  fallen  in  love  with  David,  and  Saul  saw  therein  another  op- 
portunity for  his  destruction.  He  commanded  his  servants  to  tell 
David  secretly  that  the  king  desired  a  dowry  which  could  be  pro- 
cured only  by  the  slaughter  of  a  hundred  Philistines,  hoping  that 
he  would  fall  by  their  hand.  But  David  slew  two  hundred,  thus 
leaving  Saul  no  excuse  for  breaking  his  word.  He  became  the 
king's  son-in-law;  but  Saul  only  grew  more  afraid  of  him,  and  be- 
came his  enemy  continually.  The  king  no  longer  concealed  his 
thoughts,  but  openly  told  Jonathan  and  his  servants  to  kill  David. 
Jonathan,  however,  who  delighted  much  in  David,  remonstrated 
with  his  father,  and  the  result  was  that  David  was  restored  to 
Saul's  favor  (1  Sam.  xviii.  28-xix.  7Y 


150  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X 

This  reconciliation  lasted  only  for  a  short  time.  David's  ex. 
ploits  in  a  new  war  with  the  Philistines  again  provoked  the  fury  of 
Saul,  who  nearly  pinned  him  to  the  wall  with  his  spear  for  the  sec- 
ond time.  David  fled  to  his  house,  round  which  Saul  set  a  watch 
iJuring  the  night,  intending  to  kill  him  in  the  morning;  but  Michal 
saved  her  husband's  life  by  letting  him  down  out  of  a  window. 
David  then  went  to  Samuel  at  Ramah,  and  dwelt  with  him  at  Na?- 
oth  (the  pastures).  When  Saul  heard  where  he  was,  he  sent  mes- 
sengers to  take  him  ;  but  when  they  drew  near  and  saw  the  com- 
pany of  prophets  prophesying,  with  Samuel  at  their  head,  the  Spirit 
of  God  fell  upon  them  also,  and  they  prophesied.  This  was  re- 
peated thrice;  and  at  last  Saul  went  himself.  No  sooner  had  he 
reached  the  well  of  Sechu,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  of  Ramah,  than 
the  Spirit  of  God  came  upon  him  also,  and  he  prophesied  all  the 
way  as  he  went  to  Naioth.  There  he  stripped  off  his  clothes, 
prophesying  in  like  manner  before  Samuel,  and  lay  down  naked  all 
that  day  and  night.  Well  might  this  melancholy  exhibition  give 
new  force  to  the  proverb  :  "  Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets  ?"  (I 
Sam.  xix.). 

When  David  left  his  refuge  at  Ramah,  he  appealed  to  Jonathan 
against  his  father's  persecution.  "What  have  I  done?"  he  said. 
"What  is  my  sin  before  thy  father  that  he  seeketh  my  life?"  The 
two  friends  agreed  upon  a  plan  whereby  Saul's  intentions  would  be 
tested,  and  at  the  same  time  they  renewed  their  covenant  with  a 
remarkable  addition,  made  evidently  in  anticipation  of  David's  suc- 
ceeding to  the  throne — "Thou  shalt  not  cut  off  thy  kindness  to  my 
house  forever ;  no,  not  when  the  Lord  hath  cut  off  the  enemies  of 
David  every  one  from  the  face  of  the  earth."  The  next  day  was 
the  feast  of  the  new  moon,  and  instead  of  taking  his  place  at  the 
king's  table,  David  hid  himself  in  a  field  near  at  hand.  On  the 
second  day  Saul's  suspicions  were  aroused,  and  he  demanded  of 
Jonathan  the  cause  of  David's  absence.  Jonathan's  reply  incensed 
his  father,  who  taunted  him  with  his  friendship  for  David,  told  him 
that  his  kingdom  would  never  be  established  as  long  as  David  lived, 
and  ordered  him  to  be  fetched  that  he  might  be  slain.  When  Jon- 
a 'ban  remonstrated,  Saul  hurled  his  spear  at  him,  and  Jonathan 
left  the  room  in  fierce  anger.  The  next  morning  he  went  out  to 
tha  field  where  David  was  hiding,  and  gave  him  the  signal  which 
had  been  previously  agreed  upon  between  them  to  fly  for  his  life. 
David  then  came  out  from  his  hiding-place,  and,  before  parting, 
the  friends  renewed  their  covenant,  and  then  separated  with  pas- 
sionate embraces  and  tears.  And  now  David  found  himself  a  soli- 
tary exile,  *oon  to  be  hnntcd  "  like  a  partridge  on  the  mountains" 
H  Sam.  xix  \ 


B.C.  1095-1056.        DAVID  A  FUGITIVE.  151 

He  first  turned  his  steps  to  Nob,  where  stood  the  Tabernacle  of 
the  Wanderings,  round  which  dwelt  a  little  colony  of  priests,  of 
which  Ahimelech  was  the  chief.  By  a  ready  story  he  threw  Ahim. 
elech  off  his  guard,  and  persuaded  him  to  give  him  five  loaves  of 
the  shew-bread  which  the  priests  alone  might  eat.  David's  next 
care  was  to  arm  himself,  and  the  high-priest  gave  him  the  sword 
of  Goliath,  which  had  been  laid  up  behind  the  ephod.  The  trans- 
action was  witnessed  by  Doeg,  the  Edomite,  the  chief  herdsman 
of  Saul,  who  reported  it  to  the  king.  In  revenge,  Saul  ordered 
Doeg  to  put  all  the  priests  to  death  ;  he  obeyed,  and  slew  on  that 
day  eighty-five  persons ;  and  Nob,  the  city  of  priests,  was  utterly 
destroyed,  with  all  its  inhabitants.  One  only  of  the  sons  of  Ahim- 
elech, named  Abiathar,  escaped  and  fled  to  David.  The  act  of 
David  in  eating  the  shew-bread  was  a  direct  violation  of  the  cere- 
monial law,  but  it  is  referred  to  by  our  Lord  as  justified  by  neces- 
sity, and  as  an  illustration  of  the  great  principle,  "I  will  have  mer- 
cy, and  not  sacrifice  "  (Matt.  xii.  7). 

From  Nob  David  fled  to  Acliish,  king  of  Garb,  but  the  Philistines 
retained  so  lively  a  remembrance  of  his  former  exploits,  that  he 
saved  his  life  only  by  feigning  madness,  and  Achish  dismissed  him 
with  contempt.  "He  was  now  an  outcast  from  both  nations;  Is- 
rael and  Philistia  were  alike  closed  against  him."  He  found  a  ref- 
uge in  the  cave  of  Adullam — a  large  cavern  in  the  limestone  rocks 
which  border  the  Shefelah,  or  great  maritime  plain,  not  far  from 
Bethlehem.  Here  he  became  established  as  an  independent  outlaw. 
Besides  his  brethren  who  fled  to  him  from  their  native  city,  "  every 
one  that  was  in  distress,  or  in  debt,  or  discontented,  gathered  them- 
selves unto  him,"  and  of  this  band  of  outlaws,  numbering  about 
four  hundred  men,  David  became  the  captain.  He  must  not  be 
regarded  as  a  rebel  against  Saul,  but  as  an  independent  chieftain, 
making  war  from  his  own  stronghold  against  the  Philistines. 

His  next  move  was  to  the  neighborhood  of  En-gedi.  He  had 
previously  placed  his  father  and  mother  in  safety  beyond  the  Jor- 
dan with  the  King  of  Moab — a  people  with  whom  the  family  were 
connected  through  Ruth.  At  this  place  he  was  joined  by  two  sepa 
rate  bands — one  a  detachment  of  men  from  Judah  and  Benjamin, 
the  other  a  body  of  eleven  Gadites  who  swam  across  the  Jordan  t( 
his  camp.  With  them  came,  perhaps,  the  prophet  Gad,  who  is  now 
first  mentioned  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  1-12). 

David  had  now  in  his  camp  not  only  a  prophet,  but  also  in  Abia- 
thar the  successor  to  the  high-priesthood,  and  be  placed  his  move- 
ments under  the  guidance  of  God.  Having  established  himself  in 
Kcilah,  Saul  fancied  that  he  had  caught  him  there  as  in  a  trap; 
but  learning  from  God  that  the  men  of  Kcilah  would  give  him  up 


152  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X 

David  left  the  city  with  his  little  band  of  GOO  men  for  safety.  Ho 
moved  from  one  lurking-place  to  another  in  the  wilderness  of  Ziph, 
while  Saul  was  in  constant  search  of  him.  Under  the  shade  of  the 
forest  of  Ziph  he  saw  Jonathan  for  the  lastxime.  "Fear  not,"  said 
Jonathan,  "  the  hand  of  Saul  my  father  shall  not  find  thee.  Thou 
shalt  be  king  over  Israel,  and  1  shall  be  next  unto  thee."  When 
they  had  again  renewed  their  covenant,  Jonathan  retired  to  his 
house,  and  David  remained  in  the  wood.  The  Ziphites  betrayed 
David's  movements  to  Saul,  who  left  Gibeah  in  quest  of  him,  track- 
ing his  very  footsteps,  and  hunting  him  like  a  partridge,  over  the 
hills  of  Judah.  David  was  then  driven  to  seek  another  refuge  in 
the  wilderness  of  Maon,  in  the  extreme  south.  Here  the  pursuit 
became  so  hot,  that  he  fled  from  one  side  of  a  hill  while  Saul  was 
hunting  for  him  on  the  other.  At  length  Saul  was  called  away  to 
repej  an  invasion  of  the  Philistines,  and  David  betook  himself  to 
the  dreary  fastnesses  of  the  wilderness  of  En-gedi,  on  the  western 
margin  of  the  Dead  Sea  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  13-29). 

Having  driven  back  the  Philistines,  Saul  returned  with  3000 
men  to  the  pursuit  of  David  and  his  little  band,  who  were  now 
hunted  from  rock  to  rock,  like  the  wild  goats  of  that  desert.  On 
his  way,  Saul  entered  alone  into  a  dark  cave,  in  the  innermost  re- 
cesses of  which  David  and  his  men  lay  hid.  They  urged  him  to 
use  so  favorable  an  opportunity  of  destroying  his  enemy,  but  he 
contented  himself  with  simply  creeping  behind  the  king  and  cutting 
off  the  skirt  of  his  robe.  His  heart,  however,  smote  him  even  for 
this  insult  to  the  Lord's  anointed.  Following  Saul  out  of  the 
cave,  he  cried  after  him,  "My  Lord,  the  king,"  and,  bowing  down 
before  him,  he  showed  him  his  skirt  as  a  proof  that  he  had  spared 
his  life.  He  then  made  a  most  pathetic  appeal  to  the  king's  for- 
bearance, protesting  that  he  had  done  him  no  wrong.  David  had 
called  Saul  "  father,"  and  when  he  ceased  speaking,  the  king, 
overcome  by  remorse,  burst  into  tears,  and  said,  "  Is  this  thy  voice, 
my  son  David  ?  Thou  art  more  righteous  than  I,  for  thou  hast  re- 
warded  me  good,  whereas  I  have  rewarded  thee  evil."  Acknowl- 
edging that  David  would  surely  be  king,  Saul  made  him  swear  that 
he  would  not  then  cut  off  his  name  and  house  in  Israel.  The  king 
then  returned  home,  but  David  and  his  men  remained  in  thea 
Stronghold  (1  Sam.  xxiv.). 

About  this  time  Samuel  died  ;  all  Israel  joined  in  lamentation 
for  him,  and  they  buried  him  at  his  house  at  Ramali.  David,  feel- 
ing probably  that  the  last  restraint  upon  Saul's  violence  was  now 
removed,  retired  southward  to  the  fastnesses  of  the  wilderness  of 
Paran.  Here  occurred  a  very  interesting' episode  in  his  adventures. 
There  lived  at  Maon  a  descendant  of  Caleb,  named  Nabah  possess- 


B.C.  1095-1050.       DAVID  AND  ABIGAIL.  153 

ed  of  great  wealth.  His  flocks  of  3000  sheep  and  1000  goats  fed 
on  the  pastures  of  Carmel,  and  while  David's  band  was  near,  they 
did  so  in  security.  At  the  time  of  sheep-shearing,  David  sent. 
ten  young  men  with  a  friendly  greeting  to  ask  Nabal  for  a  present 
of  food.  But  Nabal  contemptuously  refused  their  request.  To 
avenge  the  insult,  David  took  400  men  with  him,  vowing  the 
death  of  every  man  of  Nabal's  house.  Meanwhile  the  prudent  Abi- 
gail, Nabal's  wife,  without  his  knowledge  sent  forward  her  servants, 
with  asses  loaded  with  provisions,  and  went  herself  to  meet  David 
just  as  he  emerged  from  the  passes  of  the  hills.  David  accepted 
her  present,  and  thanked  her  for  keeping  him  from  shedding  blood. 
Ten  days  afterwards  her  husband  died.  Abigail  then  found  a  new 
husband  in  David,  whose  wife  Michal  had  been  given  by  Saul  to 
another,  and  about  the  same  time  lie  also  married  Ahinoam  of  Jez- 
r(jcl  (I  Sam.  xxv.). 

Meanwhile  Saul  had  forgotten  the  promises  he  made  under  the 
transient  impulse  cf  kindness  and  remorse.  David's  old  enemies, 
the  Ziphites,  came  to  tell  the  king  that  he  was  in  the  stronghold 
of  Hachilah,  east  of  Jeshimon,  and  Saul  again  led  his  chosen  army 
of  3000  men  under  Abncr  in  pursuit  of  him.  Once  more  Saul  fell 
into  the  power  of  David,  and  was  magnanimously  spared  (1  Sam. 
xxvi.  7-12).  The  scene  of  remonstrance,  confession,  and  forgive- 
ness was  again  repeated.  Saul  begged  David  to  return  to  him, 
promising  not  to  harm  him,  but  David  would  only  trust  his  life  to 
God.  This  was  their  last  interview.  Despairing  of  safety  while 
within  reach  of  Saul,  David  finally  resolved  to  seek  shelter  among 
■  the  Philistines.  Achish,  king  of  Gath,  received  him,  and  assigned 
for  his  residence  and  maintenance  the  frontier  city  of  Ziklag,  ex- 
pecting David,  apparently,  to  render  him  service  against  his  own 
country.  But  instead  of  attacking  Israel,  David  fell  upon  the  tribes 
of  the  southern  desert  of  Shur,  towards  the  confines  of  Egypt,  and 
exhibited  to  Achish  their  spoil  as  having  been  won  in  the  south  of 
Judah.  The  Philistine  king  was  so  thoroughly  imposed  upon,  and 
had  such  unlimited  confidence  in  David,  that  he  summoned  him  to 
join  in  a  grand  attack  which  he  was  preparing  arainst  Israel,  and 
David  sank  so  low  as  to  boast  of  the  courage  he  would  display  (I 
Sam.  xxvii.). 

We  must  now  look  back  to  Saul.  Since  the  death  of  Samuel  and 
the  flight  of  David,  darkness  had  gathered  about  his  downward 
path,  like  clouds  around  the  setting  sun.  His  religious  zeal,  always 
rash,  as  in  the  vow  which  so  nearly  cost  the  life  of  Jonathan,  was 
now  shown  in  deeds  of  sanguinary  violence.  The  day  of  retribu- 
tion was  come.  The  host  of  the  Philistines  had  assembled  at  the 
great  battle-field  of  Palestine,  the  valley  of  Jezreel,  while  Saul  and 


154  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  X 

the  Israelites  were  encamped  on  the  hills  of  Gilboa,  a  mountain 
range  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  plain.  When  the  king  saw  the 
Philistine  army,  he  was  panic-struck.  Fain  would  he  have  inquired 
of  the  Lord ;  but  the  high-priest  Abiathar  was  a  fugitive  from  his 
murderous  wrath  ;  the  chief  of  the  prophets  was  in  the  camp  of 
David,  and  God  gave  him  no  answer,  "  neither  by  dreams,  nor  by 
Urim,  nor  by  prophets."  In  his  extremity  he  resorted  to  a  woman 
Shat  had  a  familiar  spirit,  and  dwelt  at  Endor,  c.s  the  north  side  of 
the  little  Hermon.  The  slope  of  the  mountain  Oil  which  the  place 
stands  is  hollowed  into  caves,  one  of  which  may  well  have  been  the 
Bcene  of  the  incantation  of  the  witch.  Thither  Saul  proceeded  by 
night  and  in  disguise,  with  only  two  attendants,  and  desired  her  to 
bring  up  from  the  dead  the  person  whom  he  should  name.  "Bring 
me  up  Samuel,"  he  said.  Then  the  woman  saw  (or  professed  to 
see)"  the  form  of  Samuel — an  old  man  covered  with  a  mantle — ris- 
ing from  the  earth  ;  and,  uttering  a  loud  cry,  she  charged  Saul  with 
having  deceived  her,  for  she  now  knew  him  to  be  the  king.  In  re- 
ply to  his  inquiries  she  described  the  apparition,  and  Saul  recognized 
Samuel,  and  bowed  his  <"ace  to  the  ground.  "Why  hast  thou  dis- 
quieted me  to  bring  me  up  ?"  said  Samuel.  "  God  is  departed  from 
me,"  replied  Saul.  The  Lord  hath  rent  the  kingdom  out  of  thine 
hand,  said  Samuel,  and  given  it  to  David,  because  thou  disobeyedst 
Him  in  sparing  the  Amalekites.  The  prophet  then  foretold  the 
king's  defeat  by  the  Philistines,  and  added  that  on  the  morrow 
Saul  and  his  sons  should  be  with  him  among  the  dead.  Then  Saul 
fell  prostrate  upon  the  earth,  and  fainted  away  with  fear  and  ex- 
haustion, for  he  had  fasted  all  the  day  and  night.  The  same  night 
he  returned  to  the  camp  (1  Sam.  xxviii.).  The  woman  was  no 
doubt  an  impostor,  but  her  juggleries  seem  to  have  been  overruled 
by  God  in  a  way  as  surprising  to  herself  as  to  the  other  witnesses 
of  the  scene. 

The  ensuing  day  sealed  the  fate  of  the  king.  In  the  battle  with 
the  Philistines,  Saul  and  his  army  were  driven  up  the  slopes  and 
over  the  crest  of  Mount  Gilboa  with  immense  loss.  His  three  sons, 
Jonathan,  Abinadab,  and  Melchishua,  were  slain,  and  the  king  him- 
self  was  mortally  wounded  by  the  Philistine  archers.  Disal  led 
from  flight,  he  begged  his  armor-bearer  to  draw  his  sword  and 
slay  him.  On  his  refusal,  Saul  fell  upon  his  own  sword  and  died, 
find  his  armor-bearer  did  likewise.  The  remains  of  Saul  and  of 
his  sons  were  treated  with  great  indignities  by  the  Philistines,  and 
were  finally  carried  by  the  nrm  of  Jabesh-gilead  to  Jabesh,  and 
burnt.  Long  afterwards  the  a^hes  were  removed  by  David  to  the 
sepulchre  of  Kish  at  Zelah  (1  S:»*ri.  xxxi.). 

The  third  day  after  the  battle,  David  received  at  Ziklag  tidings 


B.C.  1095-1050.    DAVID'S  DIRGE  FOR  SAUL.  153 

of  Saul's  overthrow.  An  Amalekite  arrived  with  his  cliques  rent 
and  earth  upon  his  head,  and  said  that  he  had  escaped  out  of  the 
camp  of  Israel,  and  had  been  an  eye-witness  of  Saul's  death.  He 
told  of  the  hot  pursuit,  and  added  that  he  had  dealt  the  last  fatal 
blow  to  the  king.  The  crown  and  armlet,  which  Saul  used  to  wear 
in  battle,  he  produced  and  gave  to  David.  The  news  was  received 
with  unfeigned  grief  and  consternation  by  David  and  all  the  men 
that  were  with  him.  They  rent  their  clothes,  and  mourned,  and 
wept,  and  fasted  till  the  evening.  Then  David  sent  for  the  Amal- 
ekite, and  asking  how  he  had  dared  to  put  forth  his  hand  to  slay 
the  Lord's  anointed,  he  caused  him  to  be  put  to  death  as  guilty  by 
his  own  confession.  Finally  he  took  his  harp,  and  poured  forth  a 
lamentation  over  Saul  and  Jonathan,  which  is  the  finest  as  well  as 
the  most  ancient  of  all  dirges.  A  less  generous  heart,  and  one  less 
devoted  to  duty,  might  have  been  content  with  the  tribute  of  affec- 
tion to  his  friend  Jonathan,  and  have  left  the  memory  of  his  unjust 
master  to  perish  in  silence.  But  the  poem  has  verified  in  every 
succeeding  age  its  own  most  beautiful  and  touching  words  : 

"Saul  and  Jonathan  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
And  in  tlieir  death  they  were  not  divided.'1'' 

The  mourner  depicts  the  joy  of  the  Philistines  over  "the  mighty 
who  were  fallen,"  in  strains  which  have  ever  since  become  pro- 
verbial : 

"Tell  it  not  in  Gath, 
Publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Askelon  ; 
Lest  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice, 
Lest  the  daughters  of  the  nucircumcised  triumph." 

But  the  grand  outburst  of  love  and  grief  is  reserved  for  Jonathans 

"  O  Jonathan,  thou  wast  slain  in  thy  high  places. 
I  am  distressed  for  thee,  my  brother  Jonathan : 
Very  pleasant  hast  thou  been  unto  me : 
Thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful, 
Passing  the  love  of  women. 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen, 

And  the  weapons  of  war  perished."— (2  Sam.  i.) 

This  noble  utterance  of  grief  forms  a  fit  conclusion  to  the  second 
period  of  David's  own  life  as  well  as  to  the  fatal  experiment  under- 
taken by  the  Israelites  and  Saul  of  establishing  a  kingdom  on  the 
principles  of  self-will,  and  after  the  model  of  the  nations  around,  in 
place  of  the  royalty  of  Jehovah. 


Rabbah,  the  chief  city  of  the  Ammonites. 


CHAPTER  XT. 

THE    REIGN'    OF    DAVID. B.C.    1056-1015. 

After  the  battle  of  Gilboa,  the  country  west  of  Jordan  was  over- 
run  by  the  Philistines,  while  the  surviving  members  of  the  house 
of  Saul  took  refuge  on  the  east.  David,  at  the  command  of  God, 
removed,  with  his  band  and  all  his  family,  from  Ziklag  to  Hebron, 
the  ancient  sacred  city  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  Here  the  men  of 
Judah  anointed  him  king  over  their  tribe.  He  was  now  thirtj 
years  old.  Seven  years  and  a  half  elapsed,  however,  before  he  wag 
fully  recognized  as  king  of  all  Israel.  Abner  set  up  Ish-bosheth, 
the  eldest  surviving  son  of  Saul,  as  king,  and  he  reigned  for  two 
years  nominally  over  all  the  other  tribes  •  his  residence  was  at  Ma- 
hanaim,  east  of  Jordan.  A  civil  war  ensued,  which  was  only  end- 
ed by  the  death  of  Abner  and  that  of  Ish-bosheth.  It  went  on  long 
without  any  decisive  result  •  at  length  Abner   made   overtures  to 


B.C.  1056-1015.    CIVIL  WAR  WITH  ISH-BOSIIETH.       157 

David,  and  went  in  person  to  Hebron,  with  a  guard  of  only  twenty 
men,  to  represent  to  him  the  feelings  of  Israel  and  Benjamin. 
Having  been  welcomed  and  feasted  by  David,  he  promised  to  gather 
all  Israel  to  his  standard  and  went  away  in  peace.  But  both  bis 
journey  and  his  scheme  were  doomed  to  a  sad  miscarriage  (2  Sam. 
iii.  6-21). 

Hardly  had  Abner  departed  from  Hebron,  when  Joab  returned 
from  an  expedition.  On  hearing  of  what  had  happened,  he  charged 
he  king  with  dismissing  an  enemy  who  had  come  only  as  a  spy, 
and,  without  David's  knowledge,  he  sent  messages  after  Abner,  and 
brought  him  back  to  Hebron  under  pretense  of  further  conference. 
Drawing  him  aside  under  the  gateway  of  the  city  to  speak  with  him 
quietly,  Joab  smote  Abner  under  the  fifth  rib  so  that  he  died.  This 
treacherous  revenge  was  taken  by  Joab  and  Abishai  because  Abner, 
about  five  years  before,  had  most  unwillingly  and  in  fair  fight  slaii? 
their  brother,  Asahel  (2  Sam.  ii.  18-23). 

When  David  heard  it,  he  called  God  to  witness  that  he  and  his 
kingdom  were  guiltless  forever  of  Abner' s  blood,  and  he  imprecated 
a  terrible  curse  upon  Joab  and  his  house.  Abner  was  buried  at 
Hebron.  David  himself  followed  the  bier,  and  rent  his  clothes 
and  girded  himself  with  sackcloth,  and  wept  at  the  grave  of  Abner. 
Joab  was  obliged  to  join  in  the  universal  mourning;  but  it  was  not 
yet  possible  for  David  to  dispense  with  the  services  of  his  fierce  and 
cruel  nephews.  He  said  to  his  servants:  "I  am  this  day  weak, 
though  anointed  king ;  and  these  men  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  be  to< 
hard  for  me"  (2  Sam.  iii.  39  ;  comp.  xix.  22,  and  1  rjhron.  ii.  16). 
Ish-bosheth,  left  helpless  by  the  loss  of  Abner,  was  soon  afterwards 
slain  by  two  of  his  captains  as  he  was  lying  on  his  bed.  They  car- 
ried his  head  to  David  at  Hebron,  only  to  meet  the  fate  of  the  mes- 
senger of  Saul's  death  (2  Sam.  iv.). 

All  the  tribes  of  Israel  then  came  to  David  at  Hebron,  recog- 
nizing him  as  their  brother,  recalling  li is  leadership  in  the  time  of 
Saul,  and  acknowledging  that  God  had  appointed  him  to  be  their 
captain.  So  they  anointed  him  kinc  of  Israel  at  Hebron.  David 
was  now  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  army,  composed  of  the  best  war- 
dors  of  all  the  tribes,  numbering  about  1537,000  men  besides  th& 
vhole  tribe  of  [ssachar.  He  resolved  to  remove  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment from  the  remote  Hebron  nearer  to  the  centre  of  the  country. 
His  choice  fell  upon  Jerusalem,  the  strong  city  of  the  Jebusites, 
situated  upon  a  rocky  height,  2600  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  consisted  of  an  upper  and  a  lower  town  ;  the  latter  was  taken  by 
the  men  of  Judah  in  the  time  of  Joshua,  but  the  upper  city  defied 
their  attacks.  David  now  advanced  against  the  place  ;  as  before, 
the  lower  city  was  immediately  taken — and,  as  before,  the  citadel 


158  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XL 

held  out.  The  king  then  proclaimed  to  his  host  that  the  first  man 
who  would  scale  the  rocky  side  of  the  fortress  and  kill  a  Jebusite 
should  be  made  chief  captain  of  his  army.  Joab's  superior  agility 
gained  him  the  day,  and  the  citadel — the  fastness  of  Zion — was  taken 
(1046  B.C.).  It  is  the  first  time  that  that  memorable  name  appears 
in  the  history.  In  this  capital  David's  power  became  thoroughly 
established,  and  he  built  a  palace  there  with  the  help  of  workmen 
sent  by  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre.  But  already  there  was  "  a  worm  in 
the  bud,"  which  afterwards  blighted  all  David's  happiness.  Dis- 
regarding the  express  command  of  Moses  (Deut.  xvii.  14-17),  he 
took  to  himself  numerous  wives,  by  whom  he  had  many  sons  and 
daughters.  He  stopped  short,  however,  of  the  fatal  step  afterwards 
taken  by  Solomon  of  multiplying  to  himself  wives  from  heathen  na- 
tions so  as  to  turn  his  heart  away  from  God,  but  the  miseries  he  Buf- 
fered in  his  family  show  most  clearly  the  evils  inseparably  connect- 
ed with  polygamy. 

A  twofold  work  had  been  given  to  David  to  perform  ;  to  establish 
the  worship  of  God  in  the  place  which  He  had  chosen  for  his  abode, 
and  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  Israel  to  the  bounds  promised  to  their 
fathers.  The  former  object  was  delayed  by  war.  The  Philistines 
would  not  give  up  their  long  domination  over  Israel  without  an  ef- 
fort, but  David  gained  two  victories  over  them,  and  routed  them  in 
the  first  engagement,  burning  their  idols  which  had  been  left  on  the 
field  of  battle.  He  then  had  the  opportunity  which  he  had  long 
desired  for  the  removal  of  the  ark  from  Kirjath-jearim.  Since  its 
restoration  by  the  Philistines  (page  137),  this  symbol  of  God's  pres- 
ence had  been  left  there  under  the  care  of  Abinadab  and  his  family. 
Thither  David  went,  with  30,000  chosen  men,  to  fetch  the  ark,  and 
set  it  upon  a  new  cart,  which  was  driven  by  Uzzah  and  Ahio,  the 
two  sons  of  Abinadab.  But  its  progress  to  Jerusalem  suffered  a 
melancholy  interruption.  As  the  procession  reached  the  threshing- 
floor  of  Nachon,  the  oxen  shook  the  cart,  and  Uzzah  took  hold  of 
the  ark.  His  rashness  was  punished  by  instant  death.  David  wa? 
afraid  to  make  any  further  progress  at  that  time,  and  the  ark  was 
carried  aside  to  the  house  of  Obed-edom  the  Gittite.  There  it  re- 
miined  three  months,  and  brought  to  the  family  of  this  Philistine  a 
blessing  like  that  which  had  long  crowned  the  house  of  Abinadab 
2  Sam.  vi.  1-11). 

Meanwhile  David  prepared  for  its  final  transport  to  Jerusalem, 
with  a  care  suitable  to  the  awful  lesson  he  had  received ;  he  set  up 
a  new  tent  for  it  in  the  city  of  David,  instead  of  removing  the  old 
tabernacle,  and  intrusted  the  duty  of  carrying  it  to  the  Levites 
alone.  They  bore  it  on  their  shoulders,  after  the  manner  pre- 
scribed by  Moses   (Numb.  vii.  9).      Escorted  by  David  and    his 


B.C.  105G-1015.      THE  NEW  TABERNACLE.  153 

chosen  warriors,  with  the  elders  of  Israel,  the  procession  started 
with  every  sign  of  joy.  When  the  Levites  had  taken  six  steps  in 
safety,  the  procession  halted,  while  David  sacrificed  seven  bullocks 
and  seven  rams.  He  then  took  his  place  before  the  ark  without  his 
royal  robes,  clothed  only  in  the  linen  ephod  of  the  priestly  order, 
and  danced  with  all  his  might,  playing  upon  the  harp  as  he  led  the 
way  up  to  the  hill  of  Zion,  amidst  the  songs  of  the  Levites,  the  joy- 
'ul  shouts  of  all  the  people,  and  the  noise  of  music.  Having  placed 
the  ark  in  the  tabernacle  he  had  prepared,  and  having  offered  burnt- 
offerings  and  peace-offerings,  he  blessed  the  people  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  (2  Sam.  vi.  12-18). 

In  both  these  ceremonials  a  prominent  feature  was  the  singing 
the  praises  of  Jehovah  to  the  music  of  various  instruments.  On 
the  first  removal  of  the  ark,  we  are  told  that  "  David  and  all  Israel 
played  before  the  Lord  on  all  manner  of  instruments  made  of  fir- 
wood,  on  harps,  psalteries,  timbrels,  cymbals,  and  trumpets"  (2  Sam. 
vi.  5).  On  the  second  occasion  David  made  a  complete  arrangement 
of  the  musical  service,  placing  it  under  the  direction  of  Zadok  and 
Abiathar  the  priests,  and  appointing  the  Levites  for  its  perform- 
ance, with  Asaph  at  their  head.  The  first  Book  of  Chronicles  de- 
scribes the  order  of  this  "Service  of  Song,"  and  preserves  the 
"Psalm  of  Thanksgiving"  which  David  composed  upon  this  occa- 
sion (1  Chron.  xvi.).  Equal  care  was  taken  by  David  that  the  whole 
order  of  divine  worship  should  be  carried  out  according  to  the  law 
of  Moses.  Asaph  and  his  brethren  were  appointed  to  minister  in 
the  daily  service  before  the  ark  :  the  ofiice  of  chief  door-keeper  was 
committed  to  Obed-edom,  in  whose  house  the  ark  had  rested. 
Zadok  and  the  priests  were  charged  with  the  daily  and  other  sacri- 
fices at  the  old  tabernacle,  which  remained  at  Gibeon  (1  Chron. 
xvi.  37-43). 

David's  zeal  for  the  house  of  God  was  still  fulfilled  only  in  part. 
His  new  city  was  blessed  with  the  symbol  of  God's  presence,  but 
the  ark  itself  had  no  worthy  abode.  As  he  sat  in  his  new  palace, 
he  was  troubled  by  the  thought  which  has  so  often  since  lighted  up 
the  lamp  of  sacrifice,  "  See  now,  I  dwell  in  a  house  of  cedars,  but 
the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord  dwelleth  under  curtains."  He 
uttered  his  feelings  to  the  prophet  Nathan,  to  whom  the  word  of 
God  came  the  same  night,  directing  him  to  tell  the  king  that  the 
great  work  of  building  a  temple  for  the  Lord  was  reserved  for  one 
of  his  sons,  whose  kingdom  should  be  established  forever,  and  who 
should  build  the  house  of  God  in  the  place  chosen  by  Himself. 
This  prediction,  referring  first  to  Solomon,  is  expressed  in  terms 
that  could  only  be  perfectly  fulfilled  in  the  Messiah.  It  is  clear 
that  David  understood  it  so,  from  the  wonderful  prayer  which  ha 


160  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XI. 

poured  out  before  God  in  thanksgiving  for  the  honor  put  upon  him 
(1  Chron.  xvii.). 

His  own  throne  and  the  service  of  God's  sanctuary  being  thus 
established,  David  advanced  to  the  final  conquest  of  the  enemies  of 
Israel.  He  invaded  and  subdued  the  Philistines,  and  thus  secured 
to  the  Israelites  their  promised  boundary  on  the  south-west,  the 
river  of  Egypt.  Turning  to  the  eastern  i'rontier,  he  put  two-thirds 
}f  the  Moabites  to  death,  and  reduced  the  other  third  to  tribute. 
He  then  advanced  to  the  conquest  of  the  promised  boundary  on  the 
north-east,  "the  great  river  Euphrates."  Two  Syrian  kingdoms 
[ay  between  him  and  his  purpose.  That  of  Zobah  was  then  gov- 
erned by  Hadadezer,  whom  he  defeated.  The  Syrians  of  Damascus, 
coming  to  the  help  of  Hadadezer,  were  also  conquered,  and  that 
fairest  and  oldest  of  the  cities  of  the  world  was  made  tributary  to 
David.  These  victories  led  to  an  alliance  with  Toi,  king  of  II >- 
math  (the  Coele-Syria  of  the  Greeks),  which,  together  with  the  old 
friendship  of  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  secured  the  northern  frontier. 
David  then  returned  to  Jerusalem  laden  with  rich  spoils,  all  of  which 
he  dedicated  for  the  service  of  the  future  temple  (1  Chron.  xviii.). 

The  long  conflict  of  Edom  with  his  brother  Israel  was  now  de- 
tided  for  a  time.  A  great  victory  was  gained  over  the  Edomites 
bv  Abishai,  in  which  they  lost  18,000  men.  This  was  followed  up 
bv  an  invasion  under  Joab,  who  in  six  months  almost  exterminated 
the  male  population.  These  victories  carried  the  southern  front- 
ier of  Israel  to  the  eastern  head  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  bounds  of 
the  Promised  Land  were  now  almost  entirely  occupied,  but  these 
extended  limits  were  preserved  only  during  the  reigns  of  David  and 
Solomon,  a  period  of  about  sixty  years.  For  that  time  the  state 
was  no  longer  a  petty  monarchy,  as  in  the  reign  of  Saul,  but  it  was 
truly  one  of  the  great  Oriental  monarchies.  Thus  "  David  reigned 
over  all  Israel,  and  executed  judgment  and  justice  among  all  Ids 
people."  Having  no  further  fear  of  rivalry  from  the  house  of  Saul, 
he  was  anxious  to  find  an  opportunity  of  performing  his  covenant 
with  Jonathan.  Sending  for  Mephibosheth,  the  lame  son  of  Jona- 
than, he  restored  to  him  all  the  land  of  Saul  and  his  family,  and 
gave  him  a  place  at  the  royal  table,  like  his  own  sons.  The  land 
■vas  now  visited  with  a  famine  for  three  years,  "for  Saul  and  ":.i» 
bloody  house,  because  he  slew  the  Gibeonites ;"  and  its  expiation 
Introduces  the  touching  story  of  Rizpah  (2  Sam.  xxi.  1-1-1). 

This  first  period  of  David's  reign  is  marked  by  another  great  suc- 
cess in  war  over  the  Ammonites  and  Syrians  (2  Sam.  x.).  In  the 
following  year  Joab  again  took  the  field,  and  overthrew  the  chil- 
dren of  Amnion,  and  besieged  them  in  Rabbah,  their  chief  city, 
Davir1;,  however,  remained  at  Jerusalem.     It  was  at  this  time  that 


B.C.  1056-1015.    DAVID  AND  BATH-SHEBA.  161 

he  yielded  to  a  terrible  temptation,  which  imbittercd  the  rest  of  hie 
life,  and  which,  as  the  prophet  declared  at  the  time,  has  ever  since 
"  given  great  occasion  to  tiie  enemies  of  the  Lord  to  blaspheme." 
One  evening,  as  he  was  walking  upon  the  roof  of  his  lofty  palace  of 
cedar,  he  saw  a  beautiful  woman  in  her  bath,  and  became  at  once 
enamored.  On  inquiry  he  found  that  she  was  Bath-sheba,  the 
♦  wife  of  one  of  his  "thirty  mighty  men,"  Uriah  the  Hittite,  who 
was  then  absent  at  the  siege  of  Kabbah  under  Joab.  He  sent  fot 
the  woman  and  seduced  her.  After  a  vain  attempt  to  conceal  his 
gailt,  he  added  treacherous  murder  to  his  adultery.  Having  sent 
fcr  Uriah  back,  he  dispatched  a  letter  by  him  to  Joab,  ordering  his 
general  to  set  Uriah  in  the  forefront  of  the  battle,  that  he,  might  be 
smitten  and  die.  In  the  attack  upon  the  city,  Uriah  fell,  in  happy 
ignorance  of  his  sovereign's  guilt  and  of  his  own  wrongs.  After 
the  customary  mourning  for  her  husband,  Bath-sheba  was  taken  to 
the  house  of  David  and  became  his  wife,  and  soon  afterwards  bore 
him  a  son  (2  Sam.  xi.). 

But  now  another  voice  is  heard  :  "TAe  thing  that  David  had 
done  displeased  the  Lord"  He  sent  to  the  king  the  prophet  Na- 
than, who  opened  his  mission  with  the  parable  of  a  rich  man  who 
spared  his  own  abundant  flocks  and  herds,  and  seized  for  the  trav- 
eller who  had  come  to  him  a  poor  man's  little  ewe  lamb,  his  darling 
and  his  children's  pet.  David's  natural  sense  of  justice  made  him 
his  own  judge.  "As  the  Lord  liveth,"  he  said,  "the  man  that 
hath  done  this  thing  shall  surely  die."  "  Tuou  art  the  man," 
replied  Nathan.  Then  the  prophet  pronounced  the  sentence  of  vhe 
King  of  kings  on  him  who  had  just  been  sentencing  the  unknown 
culprit.  He  was  told  that,  as  his  sword  had  broken  up  the  house 
of  Uriah,  so  the  sword  should  never  depart  from  his  house,  that 
evil  should  be  raised  up  against  him  out  of  his  own  house,  and  that 
his  wives  should  be  taken  from  him  and  given  to  his  neighbor. 
But  David  was  also  told  that,  while  his  sin  had  been  secret,  its  pan. 
ishment  should  be  "before  all  Israel  and  before  the  sun."  Then 
follow  the  few  simple  words  of  repentance  and  forgiveness :  "  And 
David  said  unto  Nathan,  'I  have  sinned  against  the  Lord.'  And 
Nathan  said  unto  David,  'The  Lord  also  hath  put  away  thy  sin; 
;hou  shalt  not  die.'"  How  David  gave  expression  to  the  bitter 
ness  of  his  anguish  and  of  his  repentance,  we  may  read  in  the  fifty 
first  Psalm.  Therein  he  appears  as  the  type  of  the  sinning,  suffer 
iryr.  repenting,  and  forgiven  man,  who  has  ever  since  found  in  that 
one  psalm  the  perfect  utterance  of  his  deepest  feelings. 

But  even  the  "  godly  sorrow  which  worketh  repentance  unto 
fife  "  does  not  avert  the  temporal  consequences  of  sin,  whether  in 
the  form  of  its  natural  fruits  or  of  special  judgments.     And  so  N«« 

L 


1 62  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XI. 

than  not  only  does  not  recall  the  woes  denounced  on  David's  house, 
but  he  goes  on  to  declare  a  special  punishment  for  his  sin.  "The 
child  that  is  horn  unto  thee  shall  surely  die."  No  sooner  had  Na- 
than gone  home  than  God  struck  the  new-born  child  with  a  mortal 
sickness,  Ftnd  on  the  seventh  day  it  died.  As  a  pledge  of  pardon, 
God  comforted  him  by  the  birth  of  another  son  which  Bath-sheba 
bare  to  him  ;  he  was  named  Solomon  (i.  e.,  "  the  peaceful  one"),  in 
memory  of  the  peace  which  was  then  established.  He  became  the 
successor  of  David  and  the  progenitor  of  tlie  Messiah,  of  whose 
kingdom  as  "  the  Prince  of  Peace  "  his  peaceful  reign  was  a  con- 
spicuous type. 

The  glory  of  the  first  period  of  David's  reign  is  overshadowed  by 
that  great  sin,  the  punishment  of  which  was  to  render  its  second 
part  so  disastrous.  The  woes  denounced  on  David's  house  now 
began  to  be  fulfilled.  Amnon,  the  king's  eldest  son,  became  vio- 
lently enamored  of  his  half-sister  Tamar,  and  dishonored  her.  Ab- 
salom, her  brother,  waited  in  silence  an  opportunity  for  revenge.  It 
came  at  the  end  of  two  years,  when  Amnon  was  slain  at  a  feast  by 
Absalom's  servants.  The  young  prince  fled  to  liis  grandfather,  and 
remained  with  him  at  Geshtir  three  years.  At  the  request  of  Joab, 
the  king  allowed  him  to  return  to  his  own  house,  but  refused  to  see 
him.  Absalom  dwelt  for  two  years  at  Jerusalem,  gaining  favors 
with  the  people  by  his  handsome  person.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
Joab  interceded  with  the  king,  who  received  his  son  and  gave  him 
the  kiss  of  peace.  As  his  hopes  of  sharing  his  father's  throne  did 
not  seem  likely  to  be  fulfilled,  he  now  began  to  prepare  for  rebel- 
lion. When  the  plot  was  ripe,  he  obtained  leave  from  the  king  to 
go  to  Hebron,  the  ancient  sanctuary  of  his  tribe,  to  pay  a  vow 
which  he  had  made  at  Geshur  in  case  he  should  return  to  Jerusa- 
lem. Ahitophel,  David's  most  able  counsellor,  went  with  him  and 
joined  the  conspiracy,  and  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel  went  with 
Absalom  (2  Sam.  xv.  1-13). 

When  the  king  heard  of  it,  he  at  once  resolved  to  fly  from  Jeru- 
salem. Early  in  the  morning  lie  went  forth  by  the  eastern  gate 
with  all  his  household  and  a  crowd  of  people.  Crossing  the  brook 
Kidron,  they  went  over  the  Mount  of  Olives  to  Jericho  and  the 
wilderness,  "while  all  the  country  wept  with  a  loud  voice."  In 
the  valley  he  was  joined  by  Zndok  and  Abiathar,  with  the  Levites 
bringing  with  them  the  ark  of  God.  With  self-renouncing  rever- 
ence, David  refused  to  have  the  ark  removed  for  his  sake  from  the 
sanctuary  where  he  had  fixed  its  abode,  and  so  he  sent  them  back. 
The  weeping  troop  then  went  up  the  Mount  of  Olives  with  their 
heads  covered,  the  king  himself  walking  barefoot.  As  he  reached 
the  top,  word  waa  brought  to  him  that  Ahithophel  was  among  the 


B.C.  1056-1015.    ABSALOxM'S  REBELLION.  1G3 

conspirators.  Here  David  was  met  by  his  other  counsellor  and 
chosen  friend,  Hushai  the  Archite,  his  garments  rent  and  earth 
upon  his  head.  The  king,  however,  bade  him  return  into  the  city 
and  offer  his  services  to  Absalom,  in  order  to  defeat  the  counsel  of 
Ahithophel  (2  Sam.  xv.  16-37). 

As  David  passed  by  Bahurim,  Shimei,  a  member  of  the  house  cf 
Saul,  came  out  of  that  village,  and  hurled  stones  at  him  and  hie 
■servants,  cursing  him  as  the  bloody  murderer  of  Saul's  house. 
The  king  let  him  curse  on,  as  the  messenger  of  the  curse  of  God, 
a  submission  which  seems  to  express  the  voice  of  David's  con- 
science for  the  murder  of  Uriah.  "It  may  be,"  he  said,  "  that  the 
Lord  will  look  upon  my  tears,  and  will  requite  me  good  for  his 
cursing  this  day."  At  the  close  of  the  day  the  king  reached  the 
Jordan  and  rested  at  its  fords,  where  he  had  appointed  to  wait  for 
the  priests  (2  Sam.  xvi.  5-14). 

The  day  had  been  a  busy  one  at  Jerusalem.  Absalom  had  no 
sooner  entered  the  city  than,  by  the  advice  of  Ahithophel,  he  perpe- 
trated the  outrage  which  had  been  foretold  by  the  prophet  Nathan, 
with  the  view  of  making  the  breach  between  himself  and  his  father 
an  irreparable  one.  Ahithophel's  next  advice  was  that  the  king 
should  be  pursued  while  weary  and  dispirited,  and  he  undertook 
to  go  after  him  and  put  him  to  death.  His  counsel  was  defeated 
by  the  consummate  art  of  Hushai,  whose  advice  was  approved  of 
by  Absalom  and  all  the  men  of  Israel.  "For  the  Lord  had  ap- 
pointed to  defeat  the  good  counsel  of  Ahithophel  to  the  intent  that 
He  might  bring  evil  upon  Absalom."  Ahithophel  was  so  mortified 
at  the  rejection  of  his  advice  that  he  saddled  his  ass  and  went  home 
to  his  native  city,  where  he  hanged  himself.  At  midnight  David 
received  the  warning  of  Absalom's  intended  pursuit,  which  the 
priests  in  Jerusalem  sent  him  by  their  sons  ;  and  he  crossed  the 
Jordan  with  all  his  people  before  the  morning,  and  took  up  his 
abode  at  Mahanaim  (2  Sam.  xvii.). 

Absalom,  having  assumed  the  royal  state,  and  having  been  sol- 
emnly anointed  as  king,  crossed  the  river  in  pursuit  of  his  father, 
and  pitched  his  tent  in  Mount  Gilead.  David  prepared  for  the 
attack  by  dividing  Ids  forces  into  three  bodies,  which  he  placed 
severally  under  the  command  of  Joab,  of  Abishai,  Joab's  brother, 
and  of  Ittai  of  Gath.  Yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  the  people,  the 
king  himself  remained  at  Mahanaim,  to  hold  out  the  city  in  case 
of  a  defeat.  But  he  was  chiefly  solicitous  for  the  safety  of  his  re- 
bellious son.  "Deal  gently  for  my  sake  with  the  young  man,  even 
with  Absalom,"  was  his  charge  to  his  captains.  The  armies  met 
in  the  forest  of  Ephraim,  in  Mount  Gilead,  and  the  untrained  hosts 
of  Absalom  were  overthrown  with  a  slaughter  of  20,000  men      As 


164  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XL 

he  fled  from  the  enemy,  the  mule  on  which  he  rode  carried  him  be- 
neath the  spreading  branches  of  a  great  oak,  and  left  him  hanging 
by  the  luxuriant  hair  which  formed  his  pride.  The  first  soldier 
who  came  up  spai-ed  his  life,  because  of  the  king's  command,  and 
went  to  tell  Joab.  But  the  unscrupulous  chief  hurried  to  the  spot 
and  thrust  three  javelins  into  Absalom's  heart  while  his  ten  nrmor- 
bearers  joined  in  dispatching  him.  Joab  then  took  down  tli  s  body 
md  cast  it  into  a  pit,  over  which  the  people  raised  a  gre#*  J:?ap  of 
itones  as  a  mark  of  execration.  David  was  sitting  in  the  gateway 
of  Mahanaim  waiting  for  tidings  of  the  battle,  when  the  watchman 
on  the  tower  above  announced  first  one  and  then  a  second  runner. 
To  each  the  king  put  the  eager  question,  "  Is  the  young  man  Absa- 
lom safe?"  From  the  second  he  received  for  answer,  "The  ene- 
mies of  my  lord  the  king,  and  all  that  rise  against  thee  to  do  thee 
hurt,  be  as  that  young  man."  Then  the  father's  heart  gave  way. 
"The  king  was  much  moved,  and  went  up  to  the  chamber  over  the 
gate  and  wept :  and  as  he  went,  thus  he  said,  O  my  son  Absalom ! 
my  son,  my  son  Absalom !  would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  O  Ab- 
salom, my  son,  my  son  !"  (2  Sam.  xviii.). 

The  king's  grief  turned  the  victory  into  mourning,  and  the  peo- 
ple stole  back  into  the  city,  like  men  who  flee  from  battle.  David 
shut  himself  up,  covering  his  face  and  repeating  the  same  mournful 
cry.  Joab  roused  him  from  his  grief,  and  upbraided  him  lament- 
ing for  his  enemies  instead  of  encouraging  his  friends,  who  would 
soon  be  driven  away  by  his  neglect.  Most  of  the  Israelites  had  al- 
ready dispersed  to  their  tents,  but  they  returned  when  David  seat- 
ed himself  at  the  gate  of  the  city.  Confusion  for  a  time  prevailed 
among  the  tribes;  but  at  length  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  gained  over 
to  David's  cause ;  they  invited  him  to  return,  and  went  to  Gilgal 
to  meet  him,  to  conduct  him  over  Jordan.  With  the  men  of  Ju- 
dah came  a  thousand  Benjamites  under  Shimei.  Next  came  Me- 
phibosheth,  whose  supposed  ingratitude  was  noticed  only  by  a  gen- 
tle rebuke.  The  most  affecting  incident  of  the' day  was  the  fare< 
Well  of  Barzillai,  the  wealthy  Gileadite,  who  had  supplied  David's 
wants  while  he  was  at  Mahanaim.  He  contented  himself  with  es> 
corting  the  king  a  little  beyond  the  Jordan,  and  left  his  son  Chim- 
ham  to  receive  the  favors  which  he  himself  was  too  old  to  enjoy  (2 
Sam.  xix.  1-40). 

The  joy  of  the  king's  return  was  disturbed  by  the  angry  jealousy 
of  the  rest  of  Israel  against  Judah  for  bringing  him  back  without 
first  consulting  them.  A  rebellion  broke  out  in  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin, which  was  terminated  by  the  capture  and  death  of  Sheba, 
its  head.  Thus  ended  the  second  period  of  David's  reign.  The 
work  which  was  properly  his  own  was  now  done.     The  third  and 


B.C.  1056-1015.    THE  GREAT  PESTILENCE.  1G5 

closing  part  of  his  reign  was  occupied  in  preparing  for  the  glories 
of  the  earthly  kingdom  of  Israel  under  his  successor.  These  three 
periods  were  stamped  each  with  a  great  external  calamity :  thres 
years  of  famine  to  avenge  the  cruelties  of  Saul  ;  three  months  of 
flight  before  rebellious  Absalom,  and  now  three  days  of  pestilence,  an 
appropriate  punishment  for  the  offense  that  called  it  down. 

Exulting  in  the  greatness  of  his  kingdom,  David  was  moved  by 
pride  to  number  the  people  from  Dan  to  Becrsheba.  The  business 
was  intrusted  to  Joab  and  the  captains  of  the  host,  who  remon- 
strated with  the  king,  but  in  vain.  At  the  end  of  nine  months  and 
twenty  days,  they  returned  to  Jerusalem,  having  gone  through  the 
land  and  found  that  there  were  800,000  men  of  war  in  Israel  and 
500,000  in  Judah.  But  immediately  after  the  work  was  finished, 
David's  conscience  smote  him.  Early  the  very  next  morning  the 
word  of  the  Lord  came  to  the  prophet  Gad,  who  was  directed  to  say 
to  him,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  offer  thee  three  things  :  Shall  sev- 
en years  of  famine  come  unto  thee  in  thy  land  ?  Wilt  thou  flee 
three  months  before  thine  enemies,  while  they  pursue  thee?  or  that 
there  be  three  days  of  pestilence  in  thy  land?"  Of  these  modes  of 
reducing  the  number  of  his  people,  David  chose  the  last,  saying, 
"  Let  us  fall  now  into  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  for  his  mercies  are  great, 
and  let  me  not  fall  into  the  hand  of  man."  The  pestilence  raged 
for  the  appointed  time,  and  70,000  of  the  people  died  from  Dan  to 
Beersheba.  The  angel  that  destroyed  the  people  stayed  his  hand, 
at  the  intercession  of  David,  at  the  threshiiiff-ftoor  of  Araunah,  tho 
Jebusite.  There  David  built  an  altar  to  the  Lord,  and  offered 
burnt-offerings  and  peace-offerings,  and  the  plague  ceased  (2  Sam. 
xxiv. ). 

This  altar  first  distinctly  marked  the  sacred  spot  which  God  had 
long  promised  to  choose  for  his  abode.  The  hill  received  the  name 
of  Moriah  ("vision")  from  the  appearance  of  God  to  David,  first  as 
the  destroying  angel,  and  then  by  the  sign  of  fire  (2  Chron.  iii.  1). 
David  now  commenced  his  preparations  for  building  the  house  of 
the  Lord.  But  the  work  itself  was  destined  to  another  hand.  To 
his  son  Solomon,  now  designated  as  his  successor,  he  gave  the 
charge  to  build  a  house  for  Jehovah,  God  of  Israel.  His  eldest 
surviving  son,  Adonijah,  endeavored  to  usurp  the  sceptre,  and  gain- 
ed over  Joab  and  Abiathar,  but  his  rebellion  was  soon  suppressed. 
David  then  gathered  all  the  people  to  an  assembly,  in  which  he 
gave  a  solemn  charge  to  them  and  their  new  king,  to  whom  also  he 
delivered  patterns  for  the  house  of  God  and  the  materials  he  had 
collected  for  the  building.  These  were  greatly  increased  by  the 
free-will  offerings  of  the  princes  and  of  the  people.  After  David 
had  offered  thanksgiving  and  prayer  for  Solomon,  all  the  people 


166  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XL 

feasted  together,  and  Solomon  was  inaugurated  into  his  kingdom 
for  the  second  time,  while  Zadok  was  publicly  anointed  as  high- 
priest  (1  Chron.  xxix.).  The  new  king  was  established  in  pros- 
perity and  in  favor  with  the  people  before  his  father's  death. 

David's  last  act  was  to  send  for  Solomon,  and  renew  the  charge 
to  him  to  keep  the  statutes  of  the  Lord  his  God,  as  written  in  the 
law  of  Moses,  that  so  he  might  prosper  in  all  his  deeds.  After  a 
reign  of  forty  years,  seven  in  Hebron  and  thirty-three  at  Jerusalem, 
':  he  died  in  a  good  old  age,  full  of  days,  riches,  and  honor ;  and 
Solomon  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead."  He  was  buried  "in  the 
city  of  David."  His  tomb  became  the  general  sepulchre  of  the 
kings  of  J'udah,  and  was  known  in  the  latest  times  of  the  Jewish 
people  (1  Kings  ii.  10,  11). 

No  character  of  the  Old  Testament  can  at  all  be  compared  with 
that  of  David.  In  the  incidents  of  his  life  he  comes  before  us  as 
the  shepherd,  the  soldier,  the  poet,  the  statesman,  the  priest,  the 
prophet,  the  king ;  uniting  together,  in  the  romantic  friend,  the 
chivalrous  leader,  the  devoted  father,  the  diverse  elements  of  pas- 
sion, tenderness,  generosity,  fierceness.  His  character  represents 
the  Jewish  people  just  as  they  were  passing  from  the  lofty  virtues  of 
the  older  system  on  to  the  fuller  civilization  of  the  later.  In  a 
sense  more  than  figurative,  he  is  the  type  and  prophecy  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Christ  is  not  called  the  son  of  Abraham  or  of  Moses,  but 
he  was  truly  "  the  son  of  David." 

To  his  own  people  his  was  the  name  most  dearly  cherished  after 
their  first  ancestor,  Abraham.  Too  sacred  to  be  appropriated,  it 
was  never  given  to  any  one  else  in  the  Jewish  history.  His  Psalms 
have  been  the  source  of  consolation  and  instruction  beyond  any 
other  part  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  No  other  part  of  the  Old 
Testament  comes  so  near  the  spirit  of  the  New.  The  difficulties 
which  attend  on  his  character  are  valuable  as  proofs  of  the  impar- 
tiality of  Scripture  in  recording  them.  Its  dark  features  manifest 
a  union  of  natural  power  and  human  weakness.  The  inner  se- 
cret of  his  life — the  temptations,  the  remorse,  the  often-baffled,  nev, 
er-ending  struggle — is  the  truest  emblem  ever  given  us  of  man's 
moral  progress  and  spiritual  warfare  here  below. 

Meanwhile  the  highest  eulogy  passed  on  the  best  of  his  succes 
BDrs  is  that  they  followed  his  example,  or,  as  is  once  emphatically 
said,  "he  walked  in  the  first  ways  of  his  father  David"  (2  Chron. 
xvii.  3  ;  xxix.  2  ;   xxxiv.  2). 


.'..-■■ 


L 


pSitBjjOjJiM^^ 


Tomb  of  Darius  near  Persepolis  (showing  the  probable  larm  of  llie  upper  story  of  the  Temple.) 


CHAPTER,  XII. 

THE  REIGN  OF   SOLOMON. — Ii.C.   1015-975. 

The  reign  of  Solomon  marks  at  once  the  climax  of  the  Hebrew 
state  and  an  epoch  in  its  chronology,  which  may  be  called  the  .Mil- 
lennium before  the  advent  of  "  David's  greater  son."  The  accession 
nf  Solomon  as  sole  king  is  fixed  on  good  grounds  to  the  year  B.C. 
1015,  when  he  was  18  years  old.  He  reigned  40  years,  or  more  pre. 
cisely  39^  years;  the  sum  of  his  own  reign  and  his  father's  being 
80  years.  Though  he  had  been  already  solemnly  crowned,  and  the 
people  had  sworn  allegiance  to  him,  the  death  of  his  father  was  the 
signal  for  attempts  to  shake  his  throne.  The  request  of  Adonijab, 
through  the  intercession  of  Bath-sheba.  for  the  hand  of  David's  wid- 
ow, Ahishag,  was  justly  viewed  by  Solomon  as  the  first  step  in  a 
new  conspiracy  of  the  prince  with  Abiathar  and  Joab.      So  h.j  sent 


168  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XII. 

Benaiah  to  put  Adonijah  to  death,  and  deposed  Abiathar  from  tha 
high-priesthood.  Joab  flew  for  sanctuary  to  the  tabernacle,  and 
caught  hold  of  the  horns  of  the  altar :  but  even  there  the  hand  of 
Benaiah  avenged  upon  him  the  blood  of  Abner  and  Amasa. 

The  king  put  Benaiah  in  his  place  as  captain  of  the  guard,  and 
Zadok  in  the  room  of  Abiathar.  Thus  the  high-priesthood  return- 
ed from  the  house  of  Ithamar  to  that  of  Eleazar,  according  to  the 
word  of  God  to  Eli.  Shimei  was  ordered  by  Solomon  to  remain  in 
Jerusalem,  and  three  years  later  his  departure  from  the  city  was 
punished  with  death,  according  to  the  king's  express  warning  (1 
Kings  ii.  13-4G).  After  this  Solomon  enjoyed,  till  the  latter  years 
of  his  reign,  the  profound  peace  which  was  symbolized  by  his 
name. 

His  father's  '-onquests  had  carried  his  dominions  to  the  borders 
named  in  the  promise  to  Abraham,  "  from  the  river  of  Egypt  to  the 
great  river,  the  river  Euphrates."  The  subjection  of  Edom  gave 
him  the  ports  of  Eziongeber  and  Elath,  on  the  eastern  arm  of  the 
Red  Sea  {Gulf  of  Akabah);  and  his  alliance  with  Tyre  at  once 
gave  him  security  in  the  north  and  a  share  in  the  commerce  of 
Phoenicia.  Thus  powerful  by  land  and  sea,  the  kingdom  of  Israel 
was  in  truth  not  only  one  of  the  great  Eastern  monarchies,  but  at 
this  time  the  greatest  of  them  all.1  Egypt  was  glad  to  accept  the 
alliance  which  Solomon  sought ;  and  the  city  of  Gezer,  which  came 
to  him  as  the  dowry  of  Pharaoh's  daughter,  gave  him  the  command 
of  the  Philistine  plain,  the  ancient  highway  between  Egypt  and  As- 
syria (1  Kings  iii.  1  ;  ix.  15,  17  :  comp.  iv.  21).  But  this  alliance 
with  Egypt,  in  violation  of  an  old  divine  command,  brought  the 
king's  first  temptation  to  idolatry. 

Meanwhile,  "Solomon  loved  Jehovah,  walking  in  the  statutes  of 
David  his  father;"  but  the  "high  places  "  were  still  used  for  wor- 
ship. The  chief  of  these  was  the  hill  of  Gibeon,  where  stood  the 
tabernacle  and  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  ;  and  it  was  after  a  grout 
sacrifice  there  that  God  appeared  to  Solomon  in  a  dream,  and  ask- 
ed him  what  He  should  give  him.  The  king,  confessing  himself  t<> 
be  but  a  little  child  in  comparison  of  the  great  work  committed  to 
him  in  governing  and  judging  the  people,  asked  for  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  that  might  fit  him  for  the  office — "  an  understanding 
heart  to  judge  thy  people,  to  discern  between  good  and  bad."  His 
aspirations,  if  not  for  the  highest  spiritual  excellence,  were  for  prac- 
tical sagacity  and  usefulness  to  his  subjects,  not  for  long  life,  rich- 
es, and  victory  for  himself;  and,  because  he  had  not  selfishly  asked 
these  things,  they  were  freely  granted  to  him,  in  addition  to  the 

1  For  the  condition  of  E^ypt  and  Assyria  nt  this  time,  see  the  "Smaller 
Ancient  History  of  the  East,"  chaps,  xi.  and  vx 


B.C.  1015-«J75.     BUILDING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  1G9 

gift  he  had  chosen.  Their  possession  was  soon  proved  1  y  the  fa- 
mous "  Judgment  of  Solomon  "  between  the  two  mothers  of  a  dead 
and  a  living  child  (I  Kings  iii.). 

The  Oriental  magnificence  of  Solomon's  court,  where  he  sat  on 
his  throne  of  ivory  and  gold,  with  the  state  officers  whose  functions 
are  described  in  the  Book  of  Kings,  was  supported  by  levies  through- 
out the  land,  and  by  the  tribute  of  the  subject  kingdoms,  from 
Tiphsah  (Thapsacus),  on  the  Euphrates,  to  Azzah  (Gaza),  on  the 
frontier  towards  Egypt.  Judah  and  Israel  vastly  increased  in 
numbers,  dwelt  safely  all  his  days,  "every  man  under  his  vine  and 
under  his  fig-tree,  eating  and  drinking  and  making  merry."  But 
all  this  prosperity  was  transcended  by  the  king's  wisdom  and 
"  largeness  of  heart,"  and  knowledge  in  all  the  learning  of  his  age. 
He  gave  equal  attention  to  the  lessons  of  practical  morals  and  to 
the  facts  of  natural  science.  "  He  spake  3000  proverbs,"  of  which 
the  "Book  of  Proverbs"  contains  the  choicest,  "and  his  songs 
were  a  thousand  and  five;"  and  in  "The  Song  of  Songs,  which  is 
Solomon's,"  as  well  as  in  the  45th  Psalm,  we  probably  have  some 
pictures  drawn  from  his  personal  beauty  and  gracious  bearing.  All 
people  and  kings  of  the  earth  came  to  receive  from  his  own  lips  the 
wisdom  of  which  they  had  heard  (1  Kings  iv.  ;  2  Chron.  i.).  The 
king  was  meanwhile  occupied  with  three  great  works — the  building 
of  the  bouse  of  God,  of  his  own  house,  and  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem. 
For  the  "  house  of  God"  (less  properly  known  by  the  Roman  name 
of  temple)  David  had  collected  superabundant  materials  from  his 
people,  and  had  secured  the  aid  of  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre.  That 
faithful  ally  sent  an  embassy  to  congratulate  Solomon  on  his  acces- 
sion, and  arrangements  were  made  between  them  for  the  work. 
Cedars  and  fir-trees  from  Lebanon,  squared  and  fitted  where  they 
were  felled,  were  floated  round  to  Joppa,  and  thence  carried  to  Je- 
rusalem. Solomon  supplied  provisions  both  for  Hiram's  servants 
and  his  own  ;  and  he  enlisted  laborers  from  the  remnant  of  the  sub- 
ject nations  living  throughout  the  land,  whom  David  had  reduced 
to  a  condition  like  that  of  the  Gibeonites  under  Joshua.  Besides 
these,  he  raised  a  levy  of  30,000  men  out  of  all  Israel,  each  relay  of 
10,000  working  for  a  month  at  hewing  timber  in  Lebanon,  as  well 
as  the  huge  stones  for  the  foundations,  some  of  which  arc  still  seeE 
in  their  place.  Such  was  the  care  taken  in  preparing  and  fitting 
the  materials,  that  no  sound  of  axe  or  hammer  was  heard  in  the 
house  during  the  whole  time  that  it  was  in  building  (1  Kings  v.,  vi. 
7  ;  and  2  Chron.  ii.). 

Hiram  supplied  Solomon  with  a  chief  architect,  a  namesake  of 
his  own  ;  for  both  names  are  spelled  indifferently  Hiram  or  Huram. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  widow  of  Naphthali  or  Dan,  ami  his  father 


170  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XII 

had  been  a  Tyrian  artist;  and  art  was  then  hereditary.  Besides 
design  in  all  its  branches,  he  wrought  specially  in  metal  ;  and  the 
masterpieces  of  his  art  were  the  two  pillars  of  cast  brass,  called 
Jachin  and  Boaz,  18  cubits  high,  with  capitals  of  5  cubits  more,5 
adorned  with  lily-work  and  pomegranates,  which  stood  on  each 
side  of  the  porch,  in  front  of  the  holy  place.  The  site  of  the  house 
was  that  pointed  out  by  God  and  prepared  by  David,  on  Mount 
Moriah,  where  the  plague  had  stayed  at  the  threshing-floor  of 
Araunah  the  Jebusite.  The  area  inclosed  by  the  outer  walls 
formed  a  square  of  about  GOO  feet ;  but  the  sanctuary  itself  was 
comparatively  small,  as  it  was  intended  only  for  the  ministrations  of 
the  priests,  the  congregation  of  the  people  assembling  in  the  courts. 
Chambers  were  built  about  the  sanctuary  for  the  abode  of  the  priests 
and  attendants,  and  for  the  keeping  of  treasures  and  stores. 

In  other  respects  the  temple  followed  the  model  of  the  taber- 
nacle, of  which  it  was  the  exact  double  in  its  chief  dimensions,  be- 
ing  80  cubits  in  length,  40  in  width,  and  20  in  height.  The  porch 
was  ten  cubits  deep  ;  the  holy  place  was  40  cubits  long  by  20  wide , 
the  Holy  of  Holies  was  a  cube  of  20  feet  internally.  The  places 
of  the  two  vails  of  the  tabernacle  were  occupied  by  partitions,  in 
which  were  folding-doors.  The  chief  sacred  objects  were  the  same. 
Above  the  ark  new  cherubim  were  made  ;  but  the  ark  itself  was  un- 
altered, and  contained  nothing  but  the  two  Tables  of  the  Law,  the 
old  covenant  of  God  with  His  people.  The  golden  candlestick  and 
table  of  shew-broad  were  replaced  by  seven  candlesticks  and  ten 
tables.  The  richly  carved  linings  of  both  chambers  were  overlaid 
with  gold.  The  court  was  doubtless  also  doubled  in  its  dimensions, 
so  as  to  be  100  cubits  from  north  to  south,  and  200  from  east  to 
west.  Part  of  it  around  the  sanctuary  was  separately  inclosed, 
forming  the  court  of  the  priests.  In  the  outer  court  for  the  people 
the  altar  of  burnt-offering  was  wholly  of  brass,  much  larger  and  of 
a  more  elaborate  form  than  that  of  Moses  ;  and  the  brazen  hirer  for 
the  ablutions  of  the  priests  was  replaced  by  a  molten  sea,  as  it  was 
called  from  its  vast  size,  also  of  brass,  borne  by  twelve  oxen,  three 
looking  to  each  quarter  of  the  heavens.  The  temple  had  uppei 
chambers.     (See  Vignette.*) 

Having  completed  his  preparations,  Solomon  began  to  build  the 
iemple  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  the  480th  from  the  Exodus, 
on  the  second  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  sacred  year  (neat 
the  end  of  April,  B.C.  1012).  It  was  completed  in  seven  years  and 
a  half,  in  the  eighth  month  (October  to  November)  of  his  eleventh 
year  (b.c.  1005).  The  time  chosen  for  its  dedication  was  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  in  the  seventh  month  of  the  sacred  year- 
2  The  "  sacred  dibit  "  vras>  either  20  or  -2i  inches. 


B.C.  1015-975.     DEDICATION  OP  THE  TEMPLE.  171 

when  the  people,  having  done  the  labors  of  the  field  and  gathered 
in  the  vintage,  assembled  at  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  most  joyous 
feast  of  the  year.  At  the  moment  when  the  priests,  who  had  per- 
formed the  daily  service,  came  out  from  within  the  vail,  and  the 
Levites  burst  forth  in  chorus  praising  Jehovah,  "For  he  is  good: 
for  His  mercy  endureth  forever,*'  God  gave  the  sign  of  His  coming 
to  take  possession  of  His  house;  a  cloud  rilled  the  house,  "so  that 
the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister  because  of  the  cloud ;  for 
the  Gi.ory  of  Jehovah  had  filled  the  House  of  Jehovah." 
As  that  sacred  cloud  spread  through  the  open  doors  over  the  sanc- 
tuary, the  voice  of  Solomon  was  heard,  recognizing  the  presence  of 
God,  who  had  said  that  He  would  dwell  in  the  thick  darkness,  and 
for  whom  he  had  now  built  a  habitation  forever.  Then,  from  the 
great  platform  of  brass,  which  he  had  raised  in  the  midst  of  the  court, 
the  king  followed  up  his  blessing  of  the  people  with  that  sublime 
Prayer  of  Dedication,  which  is  the  prophecy  of  their  whole  history, 
and  of  God's  chastisement  of  their  sins,  even  to  the  captivity.  An 
answer  was  given  by  the  fire  which  came  down  from  heaven,  as  on 
the  first  altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  consumed  the  sacrifices,  while 
the  Shekinah  again  filled  the  house.  The  king  and  people's  sacri- 
fices of  22,000  oxen  and  120,000  sheep  were  attended  by  a  feast  of 
fourteen  days,  seven  for  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  and  seven  for  tho 
dedication  ;  and  Solomon  sent  the  people  home  "glad  and  merry 
in  heart  for  all  the  goodness  that  Jehovah  had  showed  unto  David, 
and  to  Solomon,  and  to  Israel  his  people"' (1  Kings  vi.-viii. ;  2 
Chron.  iii.-vii.). 

Four  years  more  were  occupied  in  the  completion  of  the  king's 
"own  house,"  and  of  his  other  great  works  at  Jerusalem.  His 
palace  contained,  round  the  great  court,  the  great  hall  of  state, 
called  "  the  house  of  the  Forest  of  Lebanon,"  from  its  four  rows  of 
cedar  pillars;  the  "hall"  or  "porch  of  judgment;"  and  a  "porch 
of  pillars,"  the  usual  place  of  audience,  in  front  of  the  private  pal- 
ace. It  stood  below  the  platform  of  the  temple,  to  which  Solomon 
constructed  a  subterranean  passage,  250  feet  long  by  42  feet  wide, 
the  remains  of  which  may  still  be  traced.  A  separate  palace  was 
built  for  his  Egyptian  queen,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh.  He  had 
also  a  summer  palace  in  Lebanon,  and  gardens  at  Etham,  like  the 
"paradises"  of  the  Eastern  kings.  To  these  works  were  added 
aqueducts  to  supply  the  city,  and  the  repair  of  the  walls  of  Zion 
and  of  the  fort  of  Millo.  These  last  works  were  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat(l  Kings  vii.  1-12;  i.\. 
15,  24).  On  the  completion  of  all  these  buildings,  God  appeared  a 
second  time  to  Solomon  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  and  renewed  the 
covenant  He   had  made    with  him   at   Gibeon.  a*  if  to   warn   him 


172  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XII. 

against  his  ensuing  declension  (1  Kings  ix.  1-9;    2   Chron.  vii. 
12-22). 

These  great  works  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  establishment  of  the  tern, 
pie  service  in  the  course  prescribed  by  David,  occupied  the  first  half 
of  Solomon's  reign  (b.c.  1015-99(5)  ;  the  second  half  was  begun  with 
magnificent  works  in  other  parts  of  his  dominions,  and  great  enter' 
prises  of  foreign  commerce.  Hiram's  discontent  at  the  reward  of 
his  services  by  the  gift  of  twenty  cities  on  the  coast  of  Galilee,  which 
he  called  Cabul,  that  is,  "dirt,"  did  not  impair  his  alliance  with 
Solomon.  The  navies  of  the  two  kings  were  united  in  distant  voy- 
ages ;  partly  to  the  western  parts  of  the  Mediterranean,  which  were 
vaguely  described  by  the  name  of  Tarshish;  and  partly  from  the 
two  ports  of  the  Red  Sea  to  the  shores  of  Arabia,  and  possibly  of 
India.  The  latter  navy  traded  chiefly  to  Opldr?  The  fleets  re- 
turned every  three  years,  bringing  gold,  silver,  ivory,  and  precious 
stones,  the  rare  wood  of  the  almwj  (or  alguni)  trees,  apes,  and  pea- 
cocks. In  a  beautiful  oasis  of  the  Syrian  desert,  Solomon  built 
Tadmor  (afterwards  famous  as  Palmyra),  on  a  great  commercial 
route  to  the  Euphrates.  On  the  north,  he  made  a  new  conquest, 
the  only  one  recorded  in  his  reign,  of  Hamath-Zobah,  in  the  valley 
of  the  Orontes  ;  and  here  he  built  several  of  his  "  store-cities,"  or* 
depots  for  commerce.  With  E^ypt  he  carried  on  a  great  trade  in 
linen-yarn,  and  imported  chariots  for  his  own  use  and  for  his  sub- 
ject kinj;s.  His  grandeur  reached  its  climax  when  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  (probably  El-Yemen)  came  from  the  distant  south  to  see  his 
glorv  and  to  try  his  wisdom  with  hard  questions,  and  confessed  that 
"  the  half  had  not  been  told  her"  (1  Kings  ix. ;  2  Chron.  ix.). 

The  faults  which  clouded  his  latter  years  are  summed  up  in 
Milton's  allusion  to  the  altars  set  up 

"By  that  uxorious  king,  whose  heart,  though  large, 
Beguiled  by  fair  idolatresses,  fell 
To  idols  foul." 

His  700  wives  and  300  concubines,  taken  from  all  the  surrounding 
nations  with  whom  God  had  expressly  forbidden  intermarriage, 
seduced  him  to  set  up  sanctuaries  for  their  gods,  chiefly  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  the  southern  summit  of  which  was  hence  called 
the  Mount  of  Offense.  The  punishment  of  these  sins  was  already 
preparing  in  another  train  of  evils  arising  from  the  costly  and  des- 
potic rule  which  laid  grievous  burdens  on  his  subjects,  and  from  the 
external  weakness  which  began  to  visit  his  luxury  and  advancing 
age.     For  the  third  time  God  spoke  to  him ;  but  now  to  tell  him 

1  Opkir  was  probably  in  Arabia,  either  contiguous  to  Sabaea,  or  Bituated 
on  some  point  of  tbe  southern  or  eastern  coasts  of  Arabia. 


B.C.  1015-975.     SOLOMON'S  FALL  AND  DEATH.  173 

that  his  kingdom  was  forfeited,  though  for  David's  sake  the  judg- 
ment was  postponed  to  his  son's  time,  and  one  tribe  should  still  be 
left  to  him  (1  Kings  xi.  1-13). 

Meanwhile  adversaries  began  to  show  themselves;  and  Egypt, 
the  crown  of  which  had  passed  to  the  warlike  dynasty  of  Sheshonk 
or  Shishak  (the  22d  Dynasty),  became  a  focus  of  plots  against  Sol- 
omon. First,  Hadad,  prince  of  Edom,  who  had  escaped  to  Egypt 
from  the  massacre  of  Joab,  returned  to  his  land,  and  began  a  har- 
assing war  with  Israel.  Next,  Rezon,  who  after  David's  defeat 
of  Hadadezer,  the  Syrian  king  of  Zobah,  had  gathered  a  band  of 
outlaws,  and  maintained  himself  against  the  whole  power  of  Solo- 
mon, succeeded  in  founding  the  great  rival  kingdom  of  Damascus. 
Above  all,  Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat,  an  Ephraimite  of  Zereda, 
and  "a  mighty  man  of  valor,"  was  plainly  designated  by  the  proph- 
et Ahijah  as  the  future  king  of  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel,  which  had 
always  shown  a  jealousy  of  Judah.  The  matter  readied  the  ears 
of  Solomon,  who  sought  the  life  of  Jeroboam  ;  but  the  latter  fled  to 
Egypt,  and  remained  there  with  Shishak  till  the  death  of  Solomon 
(1  Kings  xi.  14-40). 

Amidst  such  beginnings  of  impending  trouble,  Solomon  ap- 
proached the  end  of  his  course.  The  history  says  nothing  of  his 
repentance  ;  but  we  have,  in  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes,  a  review  of 
the  whole  experience  of  his  life,  based  on  the  fear  of  God.  It  gives 
the  experience  of  a  man  who  has  tasted  every  form  of  pleasure, 
and  pronounces  all  to  end  in  disappointment ;  and  from  this  rest- 
less search  after  every  new  excitement,  the  royal  preacher  comes 
back  to  this  simple  result — that  true  life  consists  in  the  discharge 
of  duty  from  religious  motives:  "Fear  God,  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments; for  this  is  the  whole  [life]  of  man"  (Eccles.  xii.  13). 

Solomon  died  at  Jerusalem,  in  the  40th  year  of  his  reign,  and 
was  buried  in  the  royal  sepulchre  in  the  City  of  David.  The  his- 
tory of  his  reign  was  written  by  the  prophets  Nathan  and  Ahijah, 
by  Iddo  the  seer  in  his  "  Visions  against  Jeroboam,"  and  in  the 
''Book  of  the  Acts  of  Solomon."  The  first  three  works  probably 
formed  the  basis  of  tho  narrative  in  the  First  Book  of  Kings ;  while 
the  substance  of  the  last  is  preserved  in  epitome  in  the  Second  Book 
of  Chronicles  (1  Kings  xi.  41-43  ;  2  Chron.  ix.  29-31) 


Sebustiyeh,  tbe  ancient  Samaria,  from  the  E.N.E. 

Behind  the  city  are  the  mountains  of  Ephraim,  verging  on  the  Plain  of 
Sharon.    The  Mediterranean  Sea  is  in  the  farthest  distance. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE    KINGDOMS    OF    JUDAII    AND    ISRAEL — TO    THE    REIGNS     OF 
JEHOSHAPIIAT    AND    AI1AB. — B.C.   975-892. 

Very  shortly  after  the  death  of  Solomon,  the  prophecy  of  Ahijah 
was  fulfilled  ;  his  kingdom  was  rent  in  twain,  and  the  parts,  both 
greatly  weakened  by  the  disruption,  formed  the  separate  kingdomr 
of  Jddah  and  Israel.  The  northern  kingdom  included  ten 
tribes,  about  two-thirds  of  the  population,  and,  with  the  region  cast 
of  Jordan,  more  than  the  same  proportion  of  the  land,  and  that 
much  the  best  in  quality.  But  the  powerful  tribe  of  Judah  retain- 
ed the  capital,  with  the  accumulated  treasures  of  Solomon  ;  and  all 
the  moral  and  religions  elements  of  greatness  were  on  the  side  of 
tbe  southern  kingdom.  From  tbe  first,  the  blot  of  rebellion  clung 
to  the  cause  of  Israel ;  for  tbe  divine  selection  of  Jeroboam  to  pun- 
ish Solomon  did  not  justify  his  revolt.      He    was   indeed  assured 


B.C.  975-892.     DISRUPTION  OF  THE  KINGDOMS.  175 

that  obedience  to  God's  law  would  be  rewarded  by  the  permanence 
of  his  kingdom  ;  but  his  very  iirst  acts  cut  off  Israel  from  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah.  His  example  was  followed  by  liis  successors,  of 
whom,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  we  read,  ''he  did  evil  in  the 
sight  of  Jehovah,  and  walked  in  the  way  of  Jeroboam,  who  made  Is- 
rael  to  sin."  His  reliijious  revolt,  drove  all  the  priests  and  Levites 
to  Jeiusalem,  where  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  preserved  from  defec- 
tion expressly  to  maintain  God's  worship  at  its  chosen  seat.  With 
the  line  of  David  remained  the  promise  of  the  kingdom,  leading  up 
to  the  Messiah  ;  and  in  that  line  the  crown  was  handed  down,  gen- 
erally  from  father  to  son  ;  while  Israel  presents  a  succession  of 
murders  and  usurpations.  In  the  whole  period  of  25.5  years,  from 
the  disruption  to  the  captivity  of  Israel,  twelve  kings  of  Judah  oc- 
cupy the  same  space  as  nineteen  kings  of  Israel ;  and  the  moral  su- 
periority of  the  former  was  still  more  conspicuous.  The  two  king- 
doms were  equally  distinguished  in  their  final  fate.  The  sentence 
of  captivity  was  executed  upon  Israel  about  130  years  sooner  than 
on  Judah  ;"  and,  while  the  Ten  Tribes  never  returned  to  their  land, 
and  only  a  scattered  remnant  of  them  shared  the  restoration  of  Ju- 
dah, the  latter  became  once  more  a  small  but  powerful  nation,  not 
free  from  the  faults  of  their  fathers,  but  worshipping  God  with  a 
purity  and  serving  Him  with  an  heroic  zeal  unequalled  since  the 
davs  of  Joshua,  and  preparing  for  the  restoration  of  the  true  spirit- 
ual kingdom  under  the  last  great  Son  of  David. 

The  part  of  the  history  thus  reviewed,  down  to  the  Captivity  at 
Babvlon,  may  be  marked  out  into  three  great  periods :  I.  From  the 
disruption  to  the  simultaneous  deaths  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and 
Israel  by  the  hand  of  Jehu,  in  B.C.  884  ;  II.  To  the  captivity  of 
Israel  by  Shalmaneser  (or  rather  Sargon),  in  B.C.  721  ;  III.  The 
remaining  history  of  Judah,  down  to  the  Captivity  of  Babylon,  in 
b.c.  5S6.  We  return  to  the  thread  of  the  history  from  the  death 
of  Solomon. 

I.  Kehoboam  (i:Eii!arqero/t/ie  People,"  B.C.  975-958)'  was  the 
only  known  son  of  Solomon,  by  Naamah,  an  Ammonite  princess, 
and  was  11  years  old  at  his  accession.  The  old  jealousy  between 
Judah  and  the  other  tribes  broke  out  at  once,  when  the  tribes  were 
convened  at  Shcchem  to  settle  the  new  kingdom  ;  and  Jeroboam 
was  sent  for  out  of  Egypt  by  the  malcontents.  Their  demand  for 
a  redress  of  the  grievances  they  had  suffered  under  Solomon  was 
supported  by  the  late  king's  old  counsellors  ;  but  Rehoboam,  taking 
counsel  with  the  young  men  that  had  grown  up  with  him,  replied, 

1  Both  to  aid  the  memory,  and  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  the  kings  are 
numbered  from  the  division  of  the  monarchy,  those  of  Judah  with  Roman, 
those  of  Israel  with  Arabic,  numerals. 


176  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIIL 

"My  little  finger  shall  be  thicker  than  my  father's  loins;  my  fa= 
ther  chastised  you  with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpi- 
ons." Then  Ephraim  and  all  Israel  raised  again  the  old  cry  of 
Sheba,  disclaiming  all  inheritance  in  David,  "  To  your  tents,  O  Is- 
rael!  Now  see  to  thine  own  house,  David."  Adoram,  the  chief 
officer  of  the  tribune,  being  sent  to  appease  the  tumult,  was  stoned 
to  death  ;  Rehoboam  only  escaped  by  Hceing  in  his  chariot  to  Jeru- 
salem ;  and  Jeroboam  was  proclaimed  king  over  all  Israel  at  She* 
chem  (1  Kings  xii.  1-20 ;  2  Chron.  x.). 

Besides  Judah,  Benjamin  adhered  to  Rehoboam.  This  tribe  had 
long  been  subordinate  to  Judah,  whose  ascendency  was  confirmed 
when  David  took  Jerusalem,  which  lay  within  the  bounds  of  Benja- 
min, from  the  Jebusites.  The  united  forces  of  these  two  tribes, 
amounting  to  180,000  men  of  war,  were  called  out  by  Rehoboam  to 
quell  the  revolt.  The  prophet  Shemaiah  forbade  this  attempt  to 
oppose  the  will  of  God  ;  but  a  state  of  war  lasted  for  sixty  years. 
Rehoboam  fortified  the  chief  cities  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  and 
placed  his  sons  in  command  of  them.  The  kingdom  also  em- 
braced the  lots  of  Dan  (in  the  south)  and  of  Simeon  (which  had 
been  taken  out  of  Judah),  and  even  a  part  of  Ephraim,  besides 
holding  Edom  as  a  subject  state  as  far  as  the  Red  Sea.  It  was 
strengthened  by  the  priests  and  Levites  whom  Jeroboam  drove  away, 
and  by  the  pious  Israelites  who  came  to  worship  at  Jerusalem  ;  but 
Rehoboam  was  corrupted,  like  his  father,  by  his  numerous  harem  ; 
and  both  king  and  people  fell  into  idolatry  and  vice  (1  Kings  xii. 
21-24;  2  Chron.  xi.). 

The  punishment  came  at  once,  in  their  invasion  and  conquest, 
by  Shishak  (Sheshonk  I.),  in  the  fifth  year  of  Rehoboam  (b.c.  972 
-1).  This  Pharaoh  spoiled  the  temple  and  the  king's  palace,  and 
made  Judah  a  tributary  kingdom,  "  that  they  may  know  the  differ- 
ence"— said  the  Lord  by  Shemaiah — "between  my  service  and  the 
service  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  countries. "''  Such  a  state  of  vassal- 
age left  the  subject  kingdom  great  freedom  so  long  as  the  tribute 
was  paid ;  and  we  are  not  surprised  at  reading  next  that,  after  the 
king  humbled  himself  before  God,  "things  went  well  in  Judah; 
and  Rehoboam  strengthened  himself  in  Jerusalem,"  during  the 
twelve  years  left  to  him.  He  reigned  seventeen  years  in  all,  and! 
was  buried  in  the  city  of  David  (1  Kings  xiv.  21-31 ;  2  Chron.  xii.). 

II.  Abijah,3  the  son  of  Rehoboam  and  Maachah,  the  daughter 

=  Respecting  this  conquest,  and  the  mention  of  Yuda  Melchi,  "  The  Royal 
<City  of  Judah,"  in  the  great  sculptures  of  Sheshonk  at  Karnak,  which  forms 
one  of  the  chief  points  of  contact  between  Scripture  History  aud  the  records 
of  the  Egyptian  monuments,  see  the  "  Smaller  Ancient  History,"  chap.  xi. 

3  The  name  signifies  "  will  of  Jehovah,"  or  "  he  whose  father  is  J^ovih ;' 
<jhe  form  Abijam  in  "  Kings  "  is  probably  erroneous. 


B.C.  975-892.         SCHISM  OF  JEROBOAM.  177 

of  Absalom,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  J  8th  year  of  Jeroboam,  and 
reigned  three  years  (b.c.  958-95G).4  He  pained  a  great  victory 
over  Israel  at  Zemaraim,  in  Mount  Ephraim.  "He  walked  in  all 
the  sins  of  his  father,"  and  especially  imitated  his  polygamy  ;  hut 
"  for  David's  sake  the  Lord  his  God  gave  him  a  lamp  in  Jerusalem, 
to  set  up  his  son  after  him."  How  great  a  light  and  glory  that  son 
was  to  Judali  will  presently  appear ;  meanwhile  we  return  to  the 
northern  kingdom  (I  Kings  xv.  1-8;  2  Chron.  xiii.). 

1.  Jeroboam  I.  (i.  e.,  " whose  jx-o/ile  is  many"'),  the  son  of  Nebat, 
reigned  over  Israel  twenty-two  years  (b.c.  975-954).  He  fortified 
Shechem  and  Penuel,  west  and  east  of  Jordan,  but  fixed  his  own 
residence  at  the  beautiful  town  of  Tirzah.  The  ten  tribes  which 
adhered  to  him  are  probably  to  be  reckoned  by  taking  Joseph 
(Ephraim  and  Manasseh)  as  one,  and  excluding  Levi  and  Judah. 
The  secession  of  Benjamin  still  left  the  number  ten,  by  counting 
Ephraim  and  Manasseh  separately.  Dan  remained  in  the  number, 
in  virtue  of  its  possessions  in  the  North.  Simeon  was  actually  in- 
cluded in  the  kingdom  of  Judah;  but  the  tribe  seems  to  have  sunk 
into  sucli  insignificance  as  to  be  numbered  among  the  ten  only  by 
a  sort  of  negative  computation.  Beyond  the  old  limits  of  Tales- 
tine,  Moab  was  attached  to  Israel ;  and  Amnion  would  naturally 
preserve  its  family  alliance  with  Rehoboam,  to  whom,  as  we  have 
seen,  Edom  was  also  subject;  but  a  common  interest  soon  prompted 
these  tribes  to  union  against  both  the  kingdoms.  As  for  the  allies 
and  tributaries  of  Solomon  in  Phoenicia  and  Syria,  though  now  cut 
off  from  Judah,  they  are  not  at  all  likely  to  have  submitted  to  the 
King  of  Israel.  We  hear  of  no  further  connection  with  Phoenicia, 
Coele-Syria,  and  the  Lebanon  ;  and  we  soon  find  the  Syrian  king- 
dom of  Damascus,  whose  rise  we  have  already  noticed,  a  most  formi- 
dable enemy  of  Israel. 

It  was  Jeroboam's  policy  to  make  the  separation  of  the  kingdoms 
irrevocable  by  a  complete  religious  schism,  and  to  give  his  people 
places  of  worship  without  their  going  up  to  Jerusalem.  Resorting 
to  the  form  of  idolatry  which  he  had  witnessed  in  Egypt,  and  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  Aaron,  whose  very  words  he  used  (comp.  1 
Kings  xii.  28  with  Exod.  xxxii.  4,  8). 

4  The  regnal  years  (in  Eastern  annals  generally)  are  usually  given  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  include  incomplete  years ;  just  as  we  commonly  say  that  George 
CIL,  who  came  to  the  throne  iu  October,  17C0,  and  died  in  January,  1820, 
reigned  CO  years.  Hence  to  compute  the  dates  is.o.  by  adding  reign  to  reign 
will  often  mislead.  Thus  George  IV.  reigned  10  years  and  nearly  a  half; 
call  it  11,  and  add  to  1820,  and  we  get  1S31  for  the  accession  of  William  IV. 
instead  of  June,  1830.  In  the  Hebrew  annals  the  correction  is  usually  sup- 
plied, as  we  are  told  in  what  year  of  each  king  of  Israel  each  king  of  Judah 
came  to  the  throne,  and  vice  com. 

M 


178  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIII 

"The  rebel  king 
Doubled  that  sin  in  Bethel  and  in  Dan, 
Likening  bis  Maker  to  the  grazed  ox." 

He  set  up  two  golden  calves,  the  symbols  of  the  Heliopolitan  deity 
Mnevis,  in  the  ancient  sanctuaries  of  Dan  and  Bethel,  at  the  north- 
ern and  southern  extremities  of  his  kingdom.  At  the  latter  the 
king  imitated  the  dedication  of  the  temple,  but  "  in  a  month  which 
he  had  devised  of  his  own  heart ;"  and  he  appointed  priests  "  from 
the  lowest  of  the  people,"  in  place  of  the  Levites. 

In  the  very  midst  of  the  ceremony,  a  man  of  God,  sent  by  the 
word  of  Jehovah  out  of  Judah,  confronted  Jeroboam  at  his  altar, 
on  which  he  prophesied  that  a  son  of  David,  named  Josiah,  should 
one  day  offer  the  bones  of  the  idolatrous  priests  who  sacrificed  upon 
it;  and  he  added  a  sign,  that  the  altar  should  be  rent  and  the  ashes 
on  it  poured  out  upon  the  ground.  The  enraged  king  called  on 
his  guards  to  seize  the  prophet,  and  put  out  his  own  hand  to  lay 
hold  of  him  ;  but  the  hand  was  withered  and  fell  helpless,  and  an 
earthquake  rent  the  altar.  On  the  prophet's  prayer,  entreated  by 
the  king,  his  hand  was  restored,  and  he  begged  the  man  of  God  to 
accept  his  hospitality  and  a  reward ;  which  he  refused,  and  depart- 
ed by  another  way,  as  he  had  been  commanded.  How  he  yielded 
to  an  aged  brother  prophet  the  consent  he  had  refused  the  king, 
how  he  was  slain  by  a  lion  for  his  disobedience  and  buried  by  the 
old  prophet,  who  entreated  that  his  bones  might  be  laid  beside  him, 
to  preserve  them  from  the  fate  denounced  on  the  idol  priests,  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  episodes  of  Scripture  familiar  to  our  earliest 
recollections.  Another  such  is  the  sickness  and  death  of  the  king's 
son,  Abijah,  the  only  one  of  his  house  "  in  whom  there  was  found 
some  good  thing  towards  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,"  and  the  fear- 
ful prophecy  of  Ahijah,  to  whom  the  wife  of  Jeroboam  resorted  in 
disguise,  to  pray  for  the  child's  life.  The  same  prophet  who  had 
designated  Jeroboam  to  the  kingdom,  though  now  blind,  at  the  first 
sound  of  the  queen's  feet  upon  the  threshold,  addressed  her  by 
name,  and,  recounting  all  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  foretold  the  speedy 
extinction  of  his  race,  and  the  coming  captivity  of  Israel.  Jero- 
boam died  soon  after  his  son  (1  Kings  xii.  25-33;  xiii. ;  xiv.  1- 
20). 

2.  Nadab  (b.c.  954-3),  the  remaining  son  of  Jeroboam,  succeed- 
ed his  father  in  the  second  year  of  Asa,  king  of  Judah,  and  was  mur- 
dered in  the  next  year,  with  all  his  father's  house,  by  Baasha,  his 
captain  of  the  host ;  thus  fulfilling  the  prophecy  of  Ahijah  (1  Kings 
xv.  25-31).  With  the  extinction  of  the  first  dynasty,  the  crown  of 
Israel  passed  from  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  to  that  of  Issachar ;  but  the 
second  dynasty  also  lasted  for  only  two  generations. 


B.C. 975-892.  OMRI  AND  SAMARIA.  179 

3.  Baasha,  the  son  of  Ahijah,  became  the  third  king  of  Israel  in 
the  third  year  of  Asa,  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  at  Tirzah  four- 
and- twenty  years  (b.c.  953-930).  His  entire  addiction  to  the  sins 
of  Jeroboam  brought  upon  his  house  the  same  fate  as  theirs,  which 
was  denounced  upon  him  by  the  prophet  Jehu,  the  son  of  Hanani. 
His  constant  wars  with  Asa  were  intiamed  by  the  continual  deser- 
tion of  pious  Israelites  to  Jerusalem.  In  the  loth  year  of  his  reign, 
his  attempt  to  prevent  this,  by  fortifying  Ramah  on  the  frontier, 
first  brought  Israel  into  conflict  with  the  Syrian  kingdom  of  Damas- 
cus. Ben-hadad  I.  invaded  Galilee  at  the  call  of  Asa,  and  so  drew 
off  Baasha  from  Ramah,  the  fortifications  of  which  were  demolished 
bv  the  Jews.  Baasha  returned  to  Tirzah,  where  he  died  and  was 
buried  in  the  2Gth  year  of  Asa  (1  Kings  xv.  32-xvi.  7;  and  xv. 
1G-21). 

4.  His  son  Elaii  reigned  for  only  parts  of  two  years  (b.c.  930- 
929),  and  was  killed  at  Tirzah,  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  with  all 
his  house,  by  Zimri,  a  captain  of  his  chariots ;  and  thus  the  second 
dynasty  of  Israel  became  extinct  (1  Kings  xvi.  8-10). 

5.  Zimri  enjoyed  his  usurpation  only  seven  days.  Being  besieged 
in  Tirzah  by  Omri,  and  the  whole  army  which  he  had  commanded, 
and  which  had  proclaimed  him  king,  Zimri  burnt  the  palace  over 
his  head.  But  another  competitor,  Tibni,  was  only  defeated  and 
killed  after  a  civil  war  of  four  years  (b.c.  929-925). 

6.  The  twelve  years  of  Omri  are  to  be  dated  from  the  death  of 
Elah  (b.c.  929-918)  ;  his  full  recognition  being  placed  in  the  31st 
year  of  Asa  (is.c.  925).  The  civil  war  is  included  in  the  six  years 
which  he  spent  at  Tirzah  ;  and  then  he  abandoned  that  residence, 
and  built  the  new  and  long-famous  capital  of  Samaria  (in  Hebrew 
Shomeron)  (1  Kings  xvi.  15-28).  Here  lie  founded  a  dynasty  which 
lasted  for  three  generations  and  four  kings,  but  which  equally  sur- 
passed all  that  had  gone  before  in  wickedness,  so  that  "  the  statutes 
of  Omri "  became  a  by-word  for  a  course  opposed  to  the  law  of  Jeho- 
vah (Micah  vi.  10).  Of  the  particular  events  of  Omri's  reign,  we  are 
only  able  to  infer  from  a  subsequent  allusion  that  the  Syrian  king 
of  Damascus,  Ben-hadad  I.,  continued  the  war  with  Israel,  and 
forced  his  own  terms  on  Omri,  who  consented  to  receive  a  resident 
envoy  in  his  new  capital  of  Samaria  (1  Kings  xx.  34).  Israel  was 
fast  losing  the  power  of  an  independent  state  ;  but  the  kingdom  was 
still  adorned  with  much  wealth  and  luxury,  when  Omri  left  it  to  his 
son  Ahab,  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  Asa,  king  of  Judah,  to  whose 
long  reign  we  now  return. 

III.  Asa,  the  third  king  of  Judah,  succeeded  his  father,  Abijah, 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  Jeroboam  I.,  king  of  Israel,  and  reigned  for 
the  long  period  of  forty-one  years  (b.c.  95G-91G).     His  name,  which 


180  SCEIPTUEE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIII 

signifies  curing  or  physician,  was  significant  of  his  work.  Himself  a 
worthy  son  of  David,  and  having  "his  heart  perfect  with  Jehovah 
all  his  days,"  he  reformed  the  religious  and  moral  abuses  of  the  three 
preceding  reigns.  He  destroyed  the  idols,  and  cut  down  and  burnt 
the  Asherah,  which  his  mother  had  set  up,  and  strewed  its  ashes  on 
the  brook  Kidron.  Still,  however,  the  old  hill-sanctuaries  were  re- 
tained as  places  of  worship.  He  repaired  Shishak's  plunder  of  the 
iemple  by  rich  offerings  of  gold  and  silver,  in  addition  to  those  dedi- 
cated by  his  father,  probably  in  the  early  part  of  his  reign,  but  since 
transferred  to  the  heathen  shrines.  The  commerce  established  by 
Solomon  with  Arabia  and  the  East,  and  with  the  silver-producing 
regions  of  Western  Europe,  must  have  continued  to  flourish. 

He  used  the  ten  years'  peace,  secured  by  his  father's  great  victory 
over  Jeroboam,  to  fortify  his  cities  anew  and  to  raise  a  numerous 
army  (2  Chron.  xiv.  1-8). 5  With  this  force  he  encountered  and 
routed  "  Zerah  the  Cushite"  {Ethiopian),  who  had  invaded  Judah 
at  the  head  of  half  a  million  of  men.  The  invader  is  thought  to 
have  been  a  king  of  Egypt ;  and,  at  all  events,  Asa  seems  to  have 
thrown  oft'  the  tributary  yoke  imposed  by  Shishak  on  Rehoboarn. 
The  joy  of  this  victory  was  used  by  the  prophet  Azariah  as  the  oc- 
casion for  summoning  king  and  people  to  the  great  religious  refor- 
mation, which  Asa  accomplished  in  his  15th  year  (n.c.  942). 

The  attendance  of  worshippers  from  Ephraim,  Manassch,  and 
other  tribes  at  this  great  convocation,  led  to  the  attack  of  Baasha 
upon  Ramah ;  when  Asa  not  only  called  in  the  heathen  king  of 
Syria,  but  purchased  his  help  witli  the  treasures  of  the  temple.  His 
want  of  faith  was  reproved  by  the  seer  Ilanani.  the  father  of  that 
Jehu  who  prophesied  also  both  to  Baasha  and  Jehoshaphat.  Ila- 
nani was  imprisoned  by  Asa  in  his  rage,  and  others  of  the  people 
were  oppressed  for  the  same  cause.  The  king's  conduct  is  to  be 
attributed  partly  to  unbroken  prosperity  and  partly  to  the  irritation 
of  pain,  for  in  his  last  years  he  suffered  from  the  gout.  Asa  sank 
under  the  disease  in  the  forty-first  year  of  his  reign,  having  been 
contemporary  with  all  the  first  seven  kings  of  Israel.  His  body 
was  laid  in  a  bed  of  spices,  in  a  sepulchre  he  had  prepared  fur 
himself  in  the  City  of  David,  and  precious  odors  were  burnt  for  him 
in  great  abundance,  as  was  the  custom  at  the  funerals  of  worthy 
kings  (1  Kings  xv.  9-24;   2  Chron.  xiv.  15). 

IV.  Jehoshaphat,  the  fourth  king  of  Judah,  was  the  son  of  Asa 
and  Azubah.  At  the  age  of  thirty-five  he  succeeded  his  father. 
:n  the  fourth  year  of  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  and  reigned  at  Jerusalem 

*  The  uumbers— 580,000,  of  whnm  300,000  were  men  of  Judah,  and  2S0,000 
Benjanrite  archers— seem  to  be  exaggerated,  like  others  in  this  part  of  the 
Hebrew  text. 


B.C.  975-SJJ2.      REIGN  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT.  181 

twenty-five  years  (n.c.  91G-802).  He  followed  his  father's  piety, 
and  possessed  an  energy  which  makes  him  the  most  like  David  of  all 
the  other  kings  of  Judah.  He  raised  the  kingdom  to  the  highest 
point  that  it  had  reached  since  the  disruption  ;  but  his  unhappy  al- 
liance with  Ahab  went  far  to  neutralize  all  his  excellences,  and 
brought  ruin  upon  his  successors.  In  the  third  year  of  his  reign, 
he  gave  a  commission  to  his  chief  princes,  in  conjunction  with  cer- 
tain Levites  and  priests,  to  teach  the  people  and  to  read  the  book 
of  the  Law  in  all  the  cities  of  Judah.  His  piety  was  rewarded  with 
prosperity.  He  had  peace  with  all  the  surrounding  nations.  Even 
the  Philistines  paid  him  tribute,  and  the  Arabians  brought  the  im- 
mense flocks  of  rams  and  goats  which  David  had  described  in  the 
72d  Psalm.  He  continued  to  fortify  and  garrison  the  cities;  at 
Jerusalem  he  had  a  band  of  captains,  like  those  of  David  ;  and  un- 
der their  command  was  a  greater  army  than  had  yet  been  raised. 
His  power  had  become  too  great  for  the  king  of  Israel  to  hope  for 
success  in  a  new  war;  and  the  growing  strength  of  the  Syrian  king- 
dom of  Damascus  may  have  prompted  the  disastrous  alliance  which 
was  now  formed  between  Jehoshaphat  and  Ahab,  and  which  requires 
us  to  look  back  to  the  history  of  Israel  (1  Kings  xxii.  41-4G  ;  2 
Chron.  xvii.). 

It  will  be  convenient,  however,  to  anticipate  the  sequel  of  Je- 
hoshaphat's  reign,  further  details  of  which  have  to  be  related  in  the 
history  of  the  house  of  Ahab.  The  lesson  taught  by  his  narrow  es- 
cape from  the  battle  of  Ramoth-gilead,  and  enforced  by  the  prophet 
Jehu,  caused  him  to  address  himself  with  renewed  zeal  to  the  work 
of  reformation.  He  went  in  person  through  his  kingdom,  from 
Beer-sheba  to  Mount  Ephraim,  reclaiming  the  people  to  the  God 
of  their  fathers.  He  appointed  judges  in  all  the  fortified  cities, 
and  in  Jerusalem  he  established  a  court  of  priests  and  Levites  and 
heads  of  houses,  for  the  final  deci>ion  of  all  cases  relating  to  the 
law  of  Jehovah.  At  the  head  of  the  latter  he  set  the  high-priest, 
Amariah,  for  all  religious  causes,  and  Zebadiah,  son  of  Ishmael,  the 
prince  of  Judah,  for  matters  relating  to  the  king.  To  both  he  gave 
a  charge  worthy  of  his  name,  which  signifies  the  "judgment  of  Je- 
hovah "(2  Chron.  xix.). 

Meanwhile  the  disaster  of  Ramoth-gilead  encouraged  the  old 
enemies  on  the  eastern  frontier.  The  Moabites,  the  Ammonites, 
with  the  people  of  Mount  Seir,  and  the  tribes  of  the  neighboring 
desert,  threw  off  the  yoke  which  they  had  borne  since  the  time  of 
David.  We  read  of  two  campaigns,  the  first  against  Jehoshaphat 
bv  a  league  of  all  these  tribes,  and  the  second  against  Jehoram, 
king  of  Israel,  and  Jehoshaphat  as  his  ally,  by  the  king  of  Moab, 
who  was  the  vassal  of  Israel,  as  Amnion  and  Edom  were  o^  Judah. 


182 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  XIII. 


In  the  first,  the  vast  hordes  of  the  enemy  were  encamped  at  Engedi, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Dead  Sea;  when,  amidst  the  people  gathered 
at  a  great  fast  before  the  Temple,  a  Levite,  Jahaziel,  was  inspired 
to  proclaim  a  victory,  in  which  their  part  should  be  only  to  "Stand 
and  see  the  salvation  of  Jehovah."  On  the  next  day  they  reached 
the  field  only  to  see  it  strewn  with  dead  bodies;  for,  confused  by  the 
ambuscades  they  had  set  for  the  men  of  Judah,  the  different  nations 
had  fallen  upon  each  other:  the  men  of  Moab  and  Amnion,  having 
first  cut  to  pieces  the  people  of  Mount  Seir,  had  turned  to  mutual 
slaughter.  The  terror  of  this  event  secured  peace  to  Judah  for  the 
rest  of  Jehoshaphat's  reign  (2  Chron.  xx.  1-31).  The  campaign  in 
which  he  aided  Jehoram  against  Moab  had  a  very  similar  issue  (see 
next  chapter).  He  attempted  to  renew  the  commerce  of  Solomon 
in  the  Red  Sea ;  but  his  fleet  was  wrecked  at  Ezion-geber,  as  a 
punishment  for  his  alliance  with  Ahaziah  in  the  enterprise.  Ho 
died  at  the  age  of  60,  and  was  buried  in  the  City  of  David,  leaving 
his  kingdom  to  his  unworthy  son,  Jehoram  (b.c.  892),  whom  he  had 
associated  with  him  in  the  kingdom  about  four  years  before  (1  Kings 
xxii.  41-50;  2  Chron.  xx.  32-xxi.). 


Sitting  Statue  of  Shalmaneser  I.  (the  king  who  mentions  Ahab  and  Jehu),  in  the  British  Moseson 


B.C.  918-878.     AIIAB'S  NEW  IDOLATRIES. 


183 


Israelites  bringing  tribute  to  Shalmaneser.    (.Niinrud  Obelisk.) 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  HOUSE  OF  AHAB,  AND  THE   CONTEMPORARY  KINGS  OF  JTJDAH. 

FIRST  CONTACT  WITH  ASSYRIA. — ELIJAH  AND  ELISHA. B.C.  918- 

878. 

• 

7.  Ahab  (properly  Achab),  the  seventh  king  of  Israel,  and  the 
second  of  the  dynasty  of  Omri,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  thirty- 
eighth  year  of  Asa,  and  reigned  twenty-two  years  at  Samaria  (b.c 
918-897).  His  name  has  attained  an  evil  eminence  in  the  world's 
history.  His  fate  was  decided  by  his  marriage  with  Jezebel,  the 
daughter  of  Ethbaal,  king  of  the  Zidonians.  The  very  name  of 
this  prince  (the  Man  of  Baal)  suggests  the  consequences  of  the  al- 
liance. In  place  of  the  worship  of  Jeroboam's  calves,  which,  mon- 
strous idols  as  they  were,  yet  professed  to  be  symbols  of  Jehovah, 
the  service  of  Baal  was  established  throughout  Israel.  Ahab  built 
him  a  temple  and  an  altar  at  Samaria,  and  made  a  grove  for  the 
impure  orgies  of  Ashtoreth.  There  was  a  great  college  of  Baal's 
priests,  or  prophets,  who  numbered  450,  besides  400  prophets  of  the 
groves;  and  all  these  were  maintained  at  Jezebel's  table.  By  her 
orders,  the  prophets  of  Jehovah  were  put  to  death,  except  a  hun- 
dred, who  were  hid  and  fed  in  a  cave  by  Obadiah,  the  governor  of 
Ahab's  house.  The  people  followed  the  apostasy  of  the  court,  till 
it  was  an  unexpected  consolation  for  the  great  prophet,  who  was 
sent,  in  this  darkest  night  of  Israel's  declension,  to  hear  that  Jeho- 
vah had  7000  left  in  Israel,  whose  knees  had  not  bowed  to  Baal, 
nor  their  lips  kissed  him  (1  Kings  xvi.  29-34). 


184  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIV 

It  was  about  the  tenth  year  of  Ahab's  reign  that  Elijah,1  the 
Tishbite,  suddenly  appeared  before  the  king  to  declare,  as  the 
word  of  Jehovah,  confirmed  by  an  awful  oath,  that  there  should  not 
be  dew  nor  rain  in  the  land  for  some  years,  but  at  his  word;  and 
we  learn  from  the  New  Testament  that  his  own  earnest  prayer  had 
obtained  this  sign  of  his  mission  (James  v.  17, 18).  That  mission 
was  to  arouse  Israel  from  the  lowest  depths  of  their  declension  to 
repentance  and  amendment  of  life,  and  to  the  hope  of  the  promise 
made  to  their  fathers.  Thus  Elijah  was  the  type  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist ;  and  both  were  marked  by  an  outward  aspect  and  mode  of  life 
suited  to  their  message.  Sprung  from  the  rude  pastoral  race  of 
Gilead  beyond  Jordan,  Elijah's  only  clothing  was  a  girdle  of  skin 
round  his  loins,  and  the  "mantle"  or  cape  of  sheepskin,  the  de- 
scent of  which  upon  Elisha  has  passed  into  a  proverb  (1  Kings 
xvii.  1). 

Elijah  meets  us  in  the  sacred  narrative  with  a  suddenness  as 
startling  as  the  first  appearance  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Judea.  After  the  simple  announcement  of  his  message,  he 
is  dismissed  to  his  retreat  from  the  vengeance  which  Jezebel  took 
upon  all  the  other  prophets  of  Jehovah.  In  a  hollow  (such  as  the 
Arabs  call  a  wady)  watered  by  the  brook  Clierith,  he  was  fed  by  ra- 
vens with  bread  and  flesh,  morning  and  evening,  till  the  brook  dried 
up.  He  was  then  sent,  not  to  any  of  the  secret  worshippers  in  Is- 
rael, nor  to  any  city  of  Judah  (lest  perhaps  he  should  appear  to  be 
a  partisan  of  the  rival  kingdom),  hut  to  the  heathen  city  of  Zare- 
phath,  belonging  to  Zidon.  Here,  amidst  the  famine,  the  poor  wid- 
ow's last  handful  of  meal  and  last  drop  of  oil  were  miraculously  re- 
plenished; and  her  self-sacrificing  faith  was  rewarded  by  the  recall 
of  her  only  son  to  life  at  the  prophet's  prayer  (1  Kings  xvii. ;  Obad. 
20  ;  Luke  iv.  25,  2G). 

In  the  third  year  of  his  residence  at  Zarephath,  and  when  the 
drought  had  lasted  three  years  and  six  months  in  all,  God  bade 
Elijah  to  show  himself  to  Ahab,  and  promised  to  send  rain  upon  the 
earth.  The  thrilling  story  of  that  meeting,  and  of  the  contest  that 
ensued  upon  Mount  Carmel,  between  the  solitary  servant  of  Jehovah 
on  the  one  side  and  the  450  priests  of  Baal  on  the  other,  ending 
with  the  cry  of  all  the  people,  as  they  saw  the  fire  descend  upon 
Elijah's  sacrifice — "Jehovah,  He  is  thk  God!  Jehovah,  He  is 
the  Gou!" — can  only  be  read  in  the  words  of  Scripture.     After  the 

1  His  name,  in  ITebrew  Eli-jahu,  is,  in  all  probability,  significant  of  the 
truth  which  he  brought  Isiael  to  confess— "  Jehovah  is  my  God."  The 
Greek  form,  Elias,  is  used  in  our  version  of  the  New  Testament.  (Matt.  xi. 
14;  xvi.14;  xvii.  3,11,12;  xxvii.  47,  49  ;  Mark  vi.  15;  ix.  4, 12, 13;  xv.  35,36; 
Luke  i.  IT  ;  ix.  R,  30,  54  ;  John  i.  21  ;  Jnmes  v.  IT. 


B.C.  918-878.  ELIJAH  AND  ELISIIA.  185 

prophets  of  Baal  had  been  slain  to  a  man  at  the  brook  Kishon,  ac- 
cording to  the  law  against  idolaters,  Elijah   retired  to  the  top  of 
Carmel,  to  agonize  in  prayer  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  remaining 
sign  ;   till  the  little  cloud,  like  a  man's  hand,  rising  out  of  the  sea, 
brought  on  the  cataracts  of  rain  amidst  which  the  prophet  ran  be- 
fore the  king's  chariot  to  Jezreel,  a  distance  of  16  miles  (1  Kings 
xviii.).      And,  lest  the  reader  of  that  sublime  chapter  should  sup- 
pose that  the  power  and  dignity  of  Elijah  place  his  triumph  over 
evil  beyond  our  imitation,  the  Apostle  James  has  pointed  the  les- 
son :    "The  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth 
much.      Elias  was  a  man  subject  to  like  passions  as  u:e  are  (of  the 
same  moral  nature  as  ourselves)  ;  and  he  prayed  earnestly  that  it 
might  not  rain  ;    and  it  rained  not  on   the  earth  by  the  space  of 
three  years  and  six  months.      And  he  prayed  again,  and  the  heaven 
gave  rain,  and  the  earth  brought  forth  her  fruit"  (James  v.  17,  18). 
Neither  the  blessings  restored,  with  the  magical  suddenness  of 
that  climate,  to  the  parched   fields  and  famished  people,  nor  tho 
signal  witness  redoubled  from  heaven  by  fire  and  water,  could  re- 
lease Ahab  from    the  bondage  of  his  heart  and  soul  to  Jezebel, 
whose  only  thought  was  of  vengeance  for  her  slaughtered  prophets. 
Elijah  had  to  fly  again  the  whole  length  of  both  kingdoms  to  Beer- 
sheha,  and  thence  the  Spirit  of  God  urged  him  forward  to  the  Desert 
of  Sinai,  where  his  sojourn  of  forty  days  and  nights,  without  food, 
repeated  that  of  Moses  in  the  same  mount,  and  typified  that  of 
Jesus  in  the  wilderness  of  Judea.     No  words  but  those  of  Scrip- 
ture  can  describe  the   revelation    of  God's  glory  to    the   prophet, 
followed  by  the  "still  small  voice"  which  sent  him   back,  with 
revived   courage,  to  discharge  the  remainder  of  his  mission.      He 
was  commanded  to  prepare  for  three  great  changes  in  the  state 
of  Israel,  by  anointing  llazael  as  the  future  king  of  Syria,  in  place 
of  Ben-hadad;  Jehu,  the  son  of  Nimshi,  as  king  of  Israel,  in  place 
of  Ahab's  house;  and  Elisha,  the  son  of  Shaphat,  to  be  prophet  in 
succession  to  himself.     These  three  were  to  follow  each  other  in  the 
destruction  of  the  worshippers  of  Baal  (1  Kings  xix.  1-18). 

ElishVs  native  place  was  at  Abel-meholah  (the  meadow  of  the 
dance),  in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  near  its  junction  with  the  plain 
of  Jezreel.  He  was  ploughing  with  twelve  yoke  of  oxen,  himself 
guiding  the  twelfth,  when  Elijah  arrived  on  his  way  up  the  valley 
towards  Damascus,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  cast  his  prophet's 
mantle  upon  Elisha,  as  if  claiming  him  for  a  son.  Elisha,  with  a 
heart  prepared  by  God,  only  begged  to  give  his  father  and  mother  a 
parting  embrace,  and  Elijah  consented,  in  words  implying  a  keen 
feeling  of  Elisha's  separation  from  the  ties  of  affection.  Elisha  cel- 
ebrated the  sacrifice  of  himself  by  offering  the  yoke  of  oxen  with 


180  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIV 

which  he  had  been  ploughing,  and  made  a  parting  feast  for  the  peo- 
ple of  the  village.  He  then  followed  Elijah  and  became  "  his  serv- 
ant," for  such  was  the  relation  between  a  prophet  and  his  nearest 
comrade,  as  afterwards  in  the  case  of  Elislia  and  Gehazi.  These 
events  form  the  first  period  of  Elijah's  course,  and  he  disappears 
from  the  scene  for  a  considerable  time  (1  Kings  xix.  19-21). 

Meanwhile  Ahab  was  engaged  in  two  great  wars  with  Syria.  In 
the  first,  Ben-hadad  II.,  with  thirty-two  confederate  kings,  besieged 
Samaria  ;  and  the  king  at  first  complied  with  his  demands.  But, 
when  required  to  give  up  his  wives  and  children,  Ahab  took  courage 
to  reply,  "  Let  not  him  that  girdeth  on  (his  armor)  boast  himself  as 
he  that  putteth  it  off."  A  prophet  of  the  Lord  promised  him  the 
victory,  and  his  little  force  surprised  and  utterly  routed  the  vast 
army  of  Ben-hadad,  who  was  contemptuously  carousing  in  his  tent. 
The  war  was  renewed  in  the  next  year,  when  Ben-hadad,  persuaded 
by  his  servants  to  fight  in  the  low  country,  as  "  the  gods  of  Israel 
were  gods  of  the  hills,"  received  a  still  more  signal  overthrow  from 
a  force  as  inferior  as  before.  He  now  threw  himself  on  the  mercy 
of  Ahab,  who  was  content  with  Ben-hadad's  promise  to  give  back 
the  towns  which  his  father  had  taken  from  Omri,  and  to  receive  a 
resident  envoy  of  Israel  in  Damascus.  For  thus  sparing  his  hea- 
then enemy,  a  prophet  warned  Ahab,  by  an  ingenious  apologue, 
that  God  would  take  his  life  for  the  life  of  Ben-hadad  (1  Kings  xx.). 

In  connection  with  the  alliance  between  Ben-hadad  and  Ahab, 
we  have  tlte  first  mention  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  in  the  newly  deci- 
phered records  of  Assyria.  Shalmaneser  II.,  who  is  known  as  "  the 
Black-Obelisk  King  " — from  a  monument  which  we  have  presently 
to  mention — has  left  records  of  his  wars  with  Syria,  both  under 
Ben-hadad  and  Hazael ;  and,  among  the  allies  of  the  former,  Ahab 
is  named  as  sending  10,000  men  and  200  chariots.  The  agree- 
ment is  made  the  more  striking  from  the  mention  of  him  as  "Ahab 
of  Jezreel, "  a  name  connected  with  his  greatest  crimes  and  with  the 
final  tragedy  of  his  house.2 

Jezreel  (now  Zerin)  was  the  favorite  residence  of  Ahab,  remark- 
able alike  for  its  strength  and  for  the  beauty  of  its  prospect  over  the 
valley  of  Esdraelon.  But  that  prospect  was  marred  by  the  sight  of 
a  vineyard,  whose  owner,  Naboth,  would  not  yield  it  to  the  king 
either  in  exchange  for  a  better  or  for  money.  The  infamous  con- 
spiracy of  Jezebel,  who  induced  the  elders  of  Israel  to  condemn 
Naboth  to  be  stoned,  on  the  evidence  of  forsworn  witnesses,  was  re- 
buked by  the  reappearance  of  Elijah.  At  the  very  moment  when 
the  king  arose  to  take  possession  of  the  vineyard,  God  sent  the  proph- 
et to  meet  him  there  ;  and  the  king's  conscience  betrayed  itself  in 
2  See  the  "Smaller  Ancient  History," chap.  xxii. 


B.C.  918-878.  DEATH  OF  AHAB.  187 

the  cry,  "Hast  thou  found  me,  O  mine  enemy?"  "I  have  found 
thee,"  answered  Elijah  ;  and  he  went  on  to  mark  the  scene  of  this 
last  crime  as  that  of  God's  judgment  for  all  his  sins  ;  "in  the  place 
where  the  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth  shall  dogs  lick  thy  blood, 
even  thine."  Jezebel's  fate  was  to  be  still  more  terrible  ;  the  dogs 
would  eat  her  under  the  walls  of  Jezreel;  and  the  whole  house  of 
Ahab  should  be  exterminated,  and  their  flesh  given  to  tho*dogs  and 
Tultures.  This  was  Elijah's  last  mission  to  Ahab ;  and  he  does 
not  appear  again  till  the  next  reign.  For  once,  Ahab  repented  and 
humbled  himself  with  fasting  and  sackcloth  ;  and  God  postponed 
the  full  execution  of  the  sentence  till  after  his  death  (1  Kings  xxi.). 
Both  this  denunciation  and  that  of  the  former  prophet  were  fulfilled 
in  a  new  war  with  Syria.  Ben-hadad  seems  to  have  withheld 
the  cities  he  had  promised  to  restore ;  and  Ahab  seized  the  occa- 
sion of  a  visit  from  Jehoshaphat  to  propose  a  joint  expedition  for 
the  recovery  of  Ramoth-gilead.  The  pious  king  of  Judah  proposed 
to  consult  the  word  of  Jehovah  ;  and,  while  Ahab's  four  hundred 
prophets  promised  an  easy  victory,  one  only,  Micaiah,  whom  he 
hated  as  a  prophet  of  evil,  vainly  warned  him  of  his  coming  death 
by  a  vision  of  Israel  as  a  flock  without  a  shepherd.  Still  his  words 
led  Ahab  to  disguise  himself  in  the  battle,  and  Jehoshaphat  nar- 
rowly escaped  the  fate  which  Ben-hadad  had  commanded  his  chari- 
ots to  make  sure  for  the  king  of  Israel.  But  that  fate  was  directed 
by  a  higher  will :  "a  certain  man  drew  a  bow  at  a  venture,"  and 
the  arrow  found  out  a  joint  in  the  disguised  king's  armor.  He  was 
supported  in  his  chariot,  while  the  battle  raged,  till  sunset,  and  then 
he  died.  At  his  fall,  the  cry  went  through  the  host,  "Every  man 
to  his  city  and  to  his  country."  His  body  was  brought  to  Samaria, 
and  there  buried,  but  not  till  the  words  spoken  by  Elijah  at  Naboth's 
vineyard  were  fulfilled.  For  as  his  chariot  was  washed  out  at  the 
pool  of  Samaria,  the  dogs  licked  up  the  blood  of  Ahab.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  Ahaziah  (1  Kings  xx.  1-40;  2  Chron.  xviii.). 

8.  Ahaziah,  the  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  whose  vices  he  inher- 
ited, began  to  reign  at  Samaria  in  the  17th  year  of  Jehoshaphat, 
and  died  in  the  following  year  (b.c.  897-896).  His  mortal  illness, 
from  a  fall  through  the  lattice  of  his  palace,  was  the  occasion  of 
Elijah's  last  appearance.  The  prophet  met  the  messengers  whom 
the  king  had  sent  to  consult  Baal-zebub  ("  Lord  of  the  Fly"),  the 
god  of  Ekron  ;  and  denounced  their  master's  death,  because  he  had 
inquired  of  an  idol,  as  if  there  were  not  a  god  in  Israel.  In  their 
description  of  him  as  "a  hairy  man,  girt  with  a  girdle  of  leather 
about  the  loins,  "Ahaziah  at  once  recognizee!  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  and 
sent  to  seize  the  prophet.  Two  captains  of  fifties,  with  their  bands, 
were  destroyed  in  succession  by  the  fire  which  the  prophet  called 


188  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Cha*-.  XIV. 

down  from  heaven  ;  but  a  third  implored  the  mercy  of  Elijah,  who 
went  with  him  and  repeated  his  message  of  death  to  the  king  him- 
self. As  lie  had  predicted,  Ahaziah  never  rose  again  from  his  bed, 
but  died,  leaving  his  kingdom  to  his  brother  Jehoram  (2  Kings  i.). 

It  is  at  this  point  that  the  sacred  narrative  places  the  Translation 
of  Elijah,  and  the  descent  of  his  prophetic  mantle  upon  Elisiia, 
with  the  miracles  by  which  the  latter  proved  that  his  parting  prayer 
for  a  double  portion  of  his  master's  spi-it  was  granted.  These  are 
among  the  minute  and  impressive  narratives  that  must  be  read, 
and  read  only,  in  the  very  words  of  Scripture.  The  spot  whence 
Elijah  went  up  to  heaven  was  beyond  the  Jordan,  opposite  to  Jer- 
icho ;  and  it  was  on  his  way  hack  from  that  city  to  Bethel  that 
Elisha  cursed  the  mocking  children,  forty-two  of  whom  were  forth- 
with devoured  by  two  she-bears  out  of  the  wood  that  overhung  the- 
rocky  pass.  There  is  nothing  to  show  that  these  "children"  were 
too  young  to  be  responsible  for  their  wantonness,  which  was  prob- 
ably meant  to  try  whether  the  new  prophet  might  be  more  safely 
insulted  than  his  predecessor.  From  Bethel  Elisha  returned  to 
Carmel,  and  thence  he  went  to  dwell  at  Samaria,  being  fully  recog- 
nized as  the  new  prophet  (2  Kings  ii.). 

9.  The  name  of  Jehoram,  the  younger  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel, 
may  perhaps  mark  the  temporary  effect  on  his  father's  mind  of  that 
great  transaction  at  Carmel,  when  "  Jehovah  was  exalted,"  as  well  as 
the  influence  of  Ahab's  alliance  with  Jehoshaphat,  whose  son,  bear- 
ing the  same  name,  had  been  placed  by  his  father  on  the  throne  of 
Judah  the  year  before.3  Jehoram,  of  Israel,  maintained  the  alli- 
ance with  Judah,  and  it  may  have  been  through  the  influence  of 
Jehoshaphat  (who  lived  for  four  years  after  Jehoram's  accession) 
that  he  was  at  first  a  shade  better  than  his  father  and  his  brother. 
He  removed  Ahab's  image  of  Baal,  but  he  still  kept  up  the  idolatries 
of  Jeroboam  (2  Kings  iii.  1-3).  His  reign  of  twelve  years  at  Sama- 
ria, is.c.  89G-SS4-,  coincides  with  the  chief  arts  of  Elisiia's  mission. 

The  prophet's  first  appearance  in  public  affairs  is  connected  with 
one  of  the  most  vivid  scenes  of  war  depicted  in  Scripture,  and  one 
which  has  now  derived  tenfold  interest  from  the  discovery  of  the 
name  of  Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  on  a  monument  in  the  Moabite 
country.4     This  king  had  revolted  on  the  death  of  Ahab,  and  re- 

3  See  the  end  of  Chapter  XIII.  The  name  is  compounded  of  Jehovah  and 
ram  ("exalted"),  and  is  abbreviated  into  Joram  in  the  case  of  both  kings. 
So,  at  a  later  period,  we  have  contemporary  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel  bear- 
ing the  name  of  Jeuoasii,  contracted  into  Joabii,  "  fire "  or  "  sacrifice  of 
Jehovah." 

4  The  inscription  on  the  now  celebrated  black  stone,  made  known  in  1SG9, 
is  still  under  discussion,  nor  has  a  perfect  copy  been  yet  obtained  (June,  1ST0). 


B.C.  918-878.        MESHA,  KING  OF  MOAB.  189 

fused  the  annual  tribute  of  100,000  Iambs  and  as  many  ranis  We 
have  seen  how  Edom,  seizing  the  same  opportunity,  in  alliance  with 
Moab  and  Amnion,  had  been  conquered  by  Jehoshaphat,  who  now 
brought  the  forces  of  Edom,  with  his  own,  to  the  aid  of  Jehoram. 
By  following  the  course  dictated  by  Elisha,  the  allies  drew  on  Moab 
to  an  overthrow,  which  only  differs  in  its  details  from  the  former. 
Those  details,  as  well  as  the  fearful  scene  in  which  the  King  of 
Moab,  hard  pressed  in  his  last  stronghold  of  Kir-haraseth,  offered 
his  eldest  son  as  a  burnt-offering  to  Moloch  in  sight  of  the  besiegers, 
must  be  read  in  2  Kings  iii.  It  would  seem  that  this  act  of  despair 
roused  the  sympathy  of  the  Edomites,  as  well  as  the  horror  of  Je- 
hoshaphat. "And  there  was  great  indignation  against  Israel  ;  and 
they  departed  from  him,  and  returned  to  their  own  land.''  We  can 
well  believe  that  this  indignation  inflamed  the  efforts  by  which 
Moab  seems  soon  to  have  thrown  off  the  yoke  of  Israel,  as  Edom 
certainly  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Judah,  and  replaced  their  own  kings 
upon  the  throne  (2  Kings  viii.  20-22). 

Other  miracles  were  wrought  by  Elisha  on  behalf  of  Jehoram, 
especially  when  he  was  attacked  by  the  predatory  bands  of  Syria; 
and  in  this  connection  we  have  the  exquisite  story  of  Naarnan  and 
Gehazi,  and  the  deliverance  of  the  prophet  himself  when  surround- 
ed in  Dothan  by  the  army  of  Ben-hadad.6 

Thus  far  we  see  Jehoram,  who  had  put  down  the  worship  of 
Baal,  upheld  against  all  his  enemies  by  the  power  of  Jehovah 
through  the  friendship  of  Elisha.  But  now  comes  a  great  change, 
which  we  can  not  well  be  wrong  in  ascribing  to  his  relapse  into  the 
idolatry  which  we  find  restored  at  the  close  of  his  reign.  Not  yet, 
however,  is  he  forsaken  by  God.  His  great  enemy  presses  him  hard- 
er than  ever:  Samaria  suffers  a  siege,  unequalled  in  horror  till  the 
final  catastrophe  of  Jerusalem  ;  the  king  vents  his  rage  upon  Eli- 
sha, who  had  probably  foretold  the  visitation  ;  but  the  cruel  pur- 
pose of  "  this  son  of  a  murderer,"  as  the  prophet  terms  him,  is  re- 
buked by  Elisha's  prophecy  of  the  plenty  that  is  to  visit  the  famish- 
ed city  on  the  morrow;  and  the  Syrian  host  flies  in  panic  during 
the  night  (2  Kings  vii.).     The  time  was  now  come  for  the  judg- 

Enough,  however,  is  deciphered  to  show  that  Mesha  records  the  building  of 
various  strong  cities  in  Moab,  aud  several  victories  over  Israel.  Such  claims, 
on  monumental  annals  (which  hardly  ever  record  defeats),  are  very  partial 
evidence ;  but  the  course  of  Israel's  history  makes  the  speedy  recovery  of 
independence  by  Moab  highly  probable  ;  and  it  becomes  almost  ccratin  from 
the  fact  that  Edom  revolted  successfully  from  Jehoram,  kiug  of  Judah  (2 
Kings  viii.  20). 

6  Our  space  does  not  allow  of  what  would  indeed  be  the  needless  repe- 
tition of  these  miracles,  which  we  are  al!  accustomed  to  read  in  their  full  de- 
tails in  various  parts  of  2  Kiugs  iv.-ix.  and  xiii. 


190  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIV. 

merits  which  Elijah  had  denounced  on  the  house  of  Ahah,  on  its 
enemy  Ben-hadad,  and  on  its  allies  of  the  apostate  family  of  Judah, 
to  which  we  now  turn. 

V.  Jehoram  succeeded  his  father  Jehoshaphat  in  the  kingdom 
of  Judah,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two,  in  the  fifth  year  of  Jehoram,  king 
of  Israel,  and  reigned  eight  years,  b.c.  892-885  (2  Kings  viii.  16, 
17).  By  his  fatal  marriage  with  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab 
and  Jezebel,  the  heir  of  David  imbibed  the  spirit  of  the  rebel  king- 
dom, and  fell  into  the  idolatries  both  of  Ahab  and  Jeroboam.  He 
set  up  the  worship  of  Baal  on  the  high  places,  and  began  his  reign 
with  the  murder  of  all  his  brothers.  Still,  for  David's  sake,  God 
forbore  to  cut  oft*  his  house  ;  but  a  letter  of  Elisha  was  found,  de- 
nouncing on  Jehoram  a  loathsome  disease,  of  which  he  died,  after 
seeing  Edoin  finally  lost,  and  Jerusalem  itself  stormed  by  the  rebel 
Philistines  and  Arabians,  who  massacred  or  carried  off  all  his  wives 
and  children,  except  his  youngest  son,  Ahaziah.  "He  departed 
without  being  regretted;"  and  was  buried  in  the  City  of  David,  but 
not  in  the  sepulchre  of  the  kings,  nor  were  any  odors  burnt  at  his 
funeral  (2  Kings  viii.  1G-2I ;  2  Chron.  xxi.). 

VI.  Ahaziah  (properly  Achaziah,  "possession  of  Jehovah")  was 
twenty-two  years  old  at  his  accession,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  Jeho- 
ram, and  reigned  only  one  year  (b.c.  885-884).  He  was  entirely 
under  the  influence  of  his  mother  Athaliah  and  his  uncle  Jehoram  ; 
and  it  now  seemed  that  the  worship  of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth  would 
be  established  in  both  kingdoms.  But,  as  if  the  presence  of  Ahab's 
grandson  on  the  throne  of  David  had  filled  up  the  measure  of  God's 
forbearance,  both  kings  were  cut  off  by  one  stroke. 

It  appears  to  have  been  after  a  great  defeat  by  the  Assyrians6 
that  Ben-hadad  was  lying  sick  and  despairing  in  his  palace,  when 
Elisha  approached  Damascus  to  anoint  Hazael  as  king  of  Syria; 
and  this  officer,  after  indignantly  asking  the  prophet,  "Is  thy  serv- 
ant a  dog,  that  he  should  do  this  thing?" — smothered  his  master 
with  a  cloth  dipped  in  water,  and  reigned  in  his  stead  (2  Kings  viii. 
7-15). 

The  opportunity  of  this  revolution  was  seized  by  the  kings  of  Is^ 
rael  and  Judah  to  recover  Ramoth-gilead  from  the  Syrians ;  but 
Jehoram  returned  wounded  to  Jezreel,  and  Ahaziah  went  there  to 
visit  him.  Elisha  sent  one  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  to  the  army 
at  Ramoth-gilead,  who  privately  anointed  Jehu,  the  son  of  Jehosh- 
aphat, son  of  Nimshi,  as  king  of  Israel.  Jehu  told  what  had  hap- 
pened to  his  fellow-captains,  who  at  once  proclaimed  "Jehu  is 
king."  "Driving  furiously"  to  Jezreel,  he  met  the  two  kings  at 
the  fatal  field  of  Naboth's  vineyard.  There  Jehu  had  himself  been 
6  See  the  "  Smaller  Ancient  History,"  chap.  xxii. 


B.C.  918-878.    EXTINCTION  OF  AHAB'S  HOUSE.  191 

present  with  Aliab,  and  heard  the  prophecy  of  Elijah,  which  he 
now  fulfilled.  Jehoram  was  slain  in  his  chariot  by  an  arrow  from 
Jehu's  bow ;  and  his  body  was  cast  into  Naboth's  plot  to  be  de\our- 
ed  by  dogs.  As  Jehu  drove  into  Jezreel,  the  old  queen  Jezebel, 
in  her  royal  head-tire  and  with  painted  face,  looked  out  from  the 
latticed  window  of  her  palace  on  the  .city  wall,  and  cried,  "Had 
Zimri  peace,  who  slew  his  master?"  But  at  Jehu's  command  her 
own  attendants  threw  her  down ;  and  when  he  afterwards  sent  to 
bury  her,  the  dogs  had  left  only  her  skull  and  the  palms  of  her 
hands.  The  governors  and  elders  of  Samaria  obeyed  the  order  to 
bring  the  heads  or  Ahab's  seventy  sons  to  Jezreel,  an  act  by  which 
they  were  committed  to  the  revolution  ;  and  Jehu  slew  forty-two 
of  the  kinsmen  of  Ahaziah,  whom  he  met  on  his  way  to  Samaria. 
Here  also  he  met  Jonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  founder  of  the  fa- 
mous ascetic  sect  of  the  Rechabites  (comp.  2  Kings  x.  IT),  Jer. 
xxxv.),  and,  asking  him,  "  Is  thine  heart  right,  as  my  heart  is  with 
thy  heart?"  took  him  up  into  his  chariot  to  see  his  zeal  for  Jeho- 
vah. He  invited  the  worshippers  of  Baal  to  a  great  festival  of  their 
god,  and  massacred  them  in  the  temple  to  a  man.  The  temple  and 
all  the  images  of  Baal  were  destroyed,  and  his  worship  was  never 
restored  in  Israel. 

When  Jehoram  was  killed,  Ahaziah  escaped  to  Samaria ;  but  ho 
was  pursued  and  killed.  His  body  was  carried  to  Jerusalem,  and 
buried  in  the  sepulchre  of  the  kings,  rs.c.  884  (2  Kings  ix.,  x.  ;  2 
Chron.xxii.  1-9). 

VII.  The  usurpation  of  the  Queen  Atiialiaii  prolonged  the  pow- 
er of  Ahab's  house  over  Judah  for  six  years  (is.c.  884-878) ;  but 
she  herself  aided  its  extirpation  by  slaying  all  the  royal  seed,  ex- 
cept Joash,  the  new-born  son  of  Ahaziah,  by  Zibiah  of  Beer-sheba. 
The  infant  was  hidden  by  his  aunt,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Jeho- 
ram and  the  wife  of  Jehoiada,  the  high-priest.  In  the  seventh 
year,  the  high-priest  formed  a  great  conspiracy  of  the  priests  and 
Levites  and  the  princes  of  Judah.  Joash  was  crowned  in  the  tem- 
ple, and  Athaliah's  cry  of"  treason"  was  stifled  in  her  blood.  By 
her  death  the  last  of  Ahab's  house  perished  ;  ''all  the  people  of 
the  land  rejoiced,  and  the  city  was  quiet"  (2  Chron.xxii.,  xxiii. ). 


Jehu  doing  homage  to  Shalmaneser.     (From  the  Nimrud  Obelisk.) 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    KINGDOMS   OF  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH,  Continued. 
JOASII  TO  THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  THE  TEN  TRIBES. - 


-FROM  JEHU  AND 

-n.c.  884-721. 


The  fair  promise  of  a  new  reign  of  religion  in  both  kingdoms 
was  soon  overcast ;  for  Jehu's  intemperate  zeal  and  the  unformed 
character  of  Joash  proved  equally  unstable. 

10.  Jehu  reigned  28  years  (b.c.  884-85G),  and  founded  the 
Fourth  Dynasty  of  Israel,  which  consisted  of  five  kings,  and  lasted 
111  years  (b.c.  884-773).  This  is  expressly  said  to  have  been  the 
reward  of  his  zeal ;  but,  when  he  declined  into  the  sins  and  idola- 
try of  Jeroboam,  "  Jehovah  began  to  cut  Israel  short."  Hazacl 
overran  the  land  east  of  Jordan  ;  and  then  the  Syrian  was  in  his 
turn  defeated  by  the  growing  power  of  Assyria.  The  great  Shal- 
maneser II.  records  his  victories  over  iiKhazail  of  Damascus:'' 
and  one  stage  of  his  celebrated  "Black  Obelisk,"  now  in  the  British 
Museum,  represents  the  tribute  brought  to  him  by  "  1  «/<wa(Jehu), 
the  son  of  Khumri  (Omri)."  The  erroneous  patronymic  is  account- 
ed for  by  Omri's  being  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the  kingdom  of 
Samaria:  the  name  of  the  city  itself  appearing  on  the  obelisk,  and 
in  the  Assyrian  records  generally,  in  the  form  Beth- Khumri,  house 
of  Omri1  (2  Kings  x.  29-3G). 

1  For  a  fuller  account  and  a  picture  of  the  "Black  Obelisk,"  see  the  "Small- 
er Ancient  History,"  chap.  xxii.  The  vignettes  to  this  and  the  preceding 
chapters  show  two  of  the  four  reliefs  in  the  stage  devoted  to  the  tribute  of 
Israel. 


B.C.  884-721.       PERSECUTION  IN  JUDAH.  193 

11.  Jehoahaz,2  king  of  Israel,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  twen- 
ty-third year  of  Joash,  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  seventeen  years 
in  Samaria  (b.c.  856-839).  He  followed  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  and 
suffered  from  constant  and  unsuccessful  wars  witli  Syria.  The 
death  of  Jehoahaz  was  simultaneous  with  that  of  Joash,  king  of 
Judah,  and  very  little  before  that  of  Hazael,  king  of  Damascus  (2 
Kings  xiii.  1-10). 

VIII.  Joash,  or  (in  the  full  form  of  the  name)  Jehoash  ("  fire 
or  sacrifice  of  Jehovah"'),  was  seven  years  old  when  he  was  pro- 
claimed king  of  Judah,  in  the  seventh  year  of  Jehu  ;  and  he  reign- 
ed forty  years  (b.c.  878-839).  For  more  than  twenty-three  years  he 
held  fast  his  piety,  and  enjoyed  high  prosperity,  under  the  guidance 
of  the  high-priest  Jehoiada.  He  repaired  the  temple,  and  con- 
structed the  first  known  "money-box,"  a  chest  with  a  hole  in  the 
lid,  which  was  placed  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  for  offerings.  The 
repairs  were  completed  in  the  twenty  third  year  of  Joash;  and  the 
restored  temple-service  was  maintained  till  the  death  of  Jehoiada, 
at  the  age  of  130  (2  Kings  xiii.  1-1G ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  1-16). 

A  most  unhappy  change  ensued.  The  princes  of  Judah,  who  had 
doubtless  been  jealous  of  the  high-priest's  influence,  persuaded  the 
king  to  restore  idolatry,  but  not  without  remonstrance.  For  here 
occurs  the  passage  which  introduces  the  unbroken  line  of  prophets, 
Elisha  being  still  alive  ;3  "Yet  he  sent  prophets  unto  them,  to  bring 
them  again  unto  Jehovah  ;  and  they  testified  against  them,  but 
they  would  not  give  ear" — a  passage  doubly  striking  from  the  oppo- 
sition which  the  princes  of  Judah  maintained  against  the  prophets. 
Nor  was  this  all ;  for  then  too  did  they  put  the  crowning  guilt  to 
their  resistance  by  the  martyrdom  of  Zechariah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada, 
whom  they  stoned  to  death  between  the  altar  and  the  temple,  by 
command  of  the  king,  whom  his  father  had  proclaimed  on  that  very 
spot  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  17-24  ;  comp.  Matt,  xxiii.  35). 4 

The  martyr's  dying  prayer — "  The  Lord  look  upon  it  and  require 
it " — began  to  be  fulfilled  within  a  year.  Hazael,  who  had  overrun 
the  eastern  provinces  of  Israel,  marched  against  Jerusalem ;  and 
his  small  force  defeated  all  the  host  of  Judah.     The  princes  were 

3  Properly  Jcho-achaz,  "Possession  of  Jehovah,"  or  "Jehovah  is  the 
owner." 

3  The  scries  of  extant  prophetic  writings  also  begins  about  this  time  ;  for 
Jonau  is  usually  placed  as  early  as  Joash,  and  he  was  at  leant  as  early  as  the 
reign  of  Jekoeoam  II.,  who  came  to  the  throne  of  Israel  fourteen  years  after 
the  death  of  Joash ;  for  he  prophesied  what  Jeroboam  performed  (2  Kings 
xiv.  25). 

4  In  the  latter  passage  the  prophet  is  called  "  Zacharias,  son  of  Barachiax." 
by  the  manifest  interpolation  of  a  copyist,  who  confounded  him  with  the 
canonical  "  Zachariah,  the  sou  of  Berechiah  "  (Zech.  i.  1). 

N 


194  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XV. 

destroyed,  probably  as  victims  surrendered  by  the  people  ;  and  Joash 
redeemed  Jerusalem  with  all  the  sacred  treasures  laid  up  in  his 
earlier  years.  His  mortal  illness,  whether  from  a  wound  or  vexa- 
tion, was  at  once  ended  by  a  conspiracy  to  which  he  fell  a  victim, 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven  (2  Kings  xii.  17-21 ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  23-27). 
The  year  in  which  Jehoahaz  and  Joash  died  began  a  new  peri- 
od of  prosperity  for  both  kingdoms,  under  their  sons,  Jehoash  and 
Amaziah,  whose  reigns  are  closely  interwoven. 

12.  Jehoash  (or  Joash)  seems  to  have  been  associated  on  the 
throne  of  Israel  with  his  father  Jehoahaz  for  about  two  years  before 
he  began  to  reign  alone,  and  he  reigned  sixteen  years  (b.c.  840- 
825).  Though  he  practised  the  idolatry  of  Jeroboam,  he  visited 
Elisha  on  bis  death-bed,  and  mourned  over  him  in  the  very  words 
of  the  prophet  when  he  lost  Elijah — "O  my  father!  my  father! 
The  chariot  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  thereof;"  and  the  prophet 
gave  him  a  sign  of  three  victories  which  he  was  to  gain  over  the 
Syrians,  but  rebuked  the  want  of  faith  that  kept  him  back  from 
many  more  (b.c.  838).  Thrice  did  Jehoash  defeat  Ben-hadad  III., 
the  son  of  Hazael ;  and  he  recovered  the  cities  which  Hazael  had 
taken  from  his  father  (2  Kings  xiii.  10-25).  But  his  more  signal 
conquest  of  Jerusalem  brings  us  back  to  the  history  of  Judah. 

IX.  Amaziah  was  twenty-five  years  old  when  he  succeeded  his 
father  Joash,  in  the  second  year  of  Jehoash,  king  of  Israel,  and  he 
reigned  twenty-nine  years  at  Jerusalem  (b.c.  839-810).  His  was 
a  mixed  character,  like  his  father's  :  "  he  did  that  which  was  right 
in  the  sight  of  Jehovah,  but  not  with  a  perfect  heart" — "not  like 
David  his  father  ;"  and  the  people  still  sacrificed  in  the  high  places. 
His  successes  against  Edom  were  marred  by  his  sacrifice  to  the  idols 
of  Mt.  Seir,  to  assert  his  re-conquest  of  the  land;  and  a  prophet, 
whom  he  insulted,  replied,  "  I  know  that  God  hath  determined  to 
destroy  thee."  His  wanton  challenge  to  Jehoash  led  to  his  defeat 
in  a  great  battle,  from  which  Amaziah  was  brought  back  a  prisoner 
to  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  King  of  Israel  broke  down  400  cubits  of  the 
city  wall.  Jehoash  returned  to  Samaria,  where  he  soon  died ;  and, 
fifteen  years  later,  Amaziah,  flying  from  a  conspiracy,  which  his 
tyranny  had  provoked,  was  overtaken  and  killed  at  Lachish,  but  was 
buried  at  Jerusalem  (2  Kings  xiv.  1-7). 

We  now  come  to  the  two  longest  reigns  since  the  division  of 
the  monarchy — those  of  Jeroboam  II.  over  Israel  and  Uzziah  over 
Judah. 

13.  Jeboboam  II.,  the  most  prosperous  of  all  the  kings  of  Israel, 
succeeded  his  father  Joash  in  the  15th  year  of  Amaziah,  and  reign- 
ed 41  years  at  Samaria  (b.c.  825-784).  In  his  reign  we  see  the 
climax  of  the  favor  which  God  showed  to  the  house  of  Jehu,  in  spite 


B.C.  884-721.     ZACHARIAH  TO  MENAHEM.  Ittf, 

of  their  continued  worship  of  the  golden  oalves,  as  if  to  win  them 
back  to  that  covenant  for  the  sake  of  which  "He  would  not  blot 
out  the  name  of  Israel  from  under  heaven  "  (2  Kings  xiv.  27  ;  comp. 
xiii.  5).  The  first  of  the  Canonical  Prophets,6  whose  name  appears 
in  the  sacred  history — "Jonah,  the  son  of  Amittai,  of  Gath-he- 
pher" — prophesied  the  victories  over  Syria,  Amnion,  and  Moab,  by 
which  Jeroboam  recovered  the  old  boundary  of  Israel  to  the  east. 
"  from  the  entering  of  Hamath  (Ccele-Syria)  to  the  sea  of  the  plain  " 
(the  Dead  Sea),  and  even  regained  part  of  the  territory  of  Damas- 
cus (2  Kings  xiv.  23-29).  These  conquests  were  the  easier  on  ac- 
count of  the  increasing  pressure  of  Assyria  upon  Syria;  for  the 
"Old  Assyrian  Dynasty"  appears  to  have  been  at  the  climax  of  its 
power  when  Jonah  was  sent  to  proclaim  the  ruin  of  Nineveh,  which 
was  postponed  by  the  repentance  of  her  king  and  people6  (2  Kings 
xiv.  23-28). 

Under  Jerohoam  II.  and  his  successors,  the  prophets  Amos  and 
Hosea  fill  up  the  brief  narrative  of  "Kings"  by  the  light  they 
throw  on  the  internal  condition  of  the  state — its  idolatry,  drunken- 
ness, licentiousness,  and  oppression.  Hcsea  prophesied  equally  to 
Israel  and  Judah  :  Amos,  though  a  native  of  Judah,  exercised  his 
ministry  in  Israel.  He  predicted  the  judgments  of  God  upon  that 
kingdom  and  the  surrounding  nations  ;  the  destruction  of  the  house 
of  Jeroboam  by  the  sword,  and  the  captivity  of  Israel.  Though 
Amaziah,  the  priest  of  "the  king's  sanctuary  at  Bethel,"  accused 
him  of  treason,  and  tried  to  drive  him  back  to  Judah,  he  did  not 
shrink  from  announcing  that  the  people,  brought  back  from  captiv- 
ity, would  be  reunited  under  the  house  of  David. 

14.  The  six  months'  reign  of  Zachariah,  the  fifth  and  last  king 
of  the  house  of  Jehu,  involves  chronological  difficulties  which  need 
not  be  discussed  here.  Either  there  was  an  interregnum  of  nine 
years  (b.c.  784-773)  before  he  was  placed  on  the  throne,  or  the 
reign  of  Jeroboam  II.  was  prolonged  for  that  time  in  association 
with  his  son.  Zachariah  followed  the  idolatries  of  Jeroboam,  and 
was  slain  in  a  conspiracy  by  Shalluni,  the  son  of  Jabesh,  b.c.  772 
(2  Kings  xv.  8-12). 

15.  Shallum  enjoyed  his  usurpation  only  one  month,  when  he 
was  overthrown,  like  Zimri,  by  Menahem,  the  son  of  Gadi.  But 
this  time  the  successful  competitor  marched  from  Tirzah  to  take 
Samaria,  and  killed  Shallum.  The  horrors  of  this  civil  war  are 
seen  in  the  fate  of  the  town  of  Tiphsah  (2  Kings  xv.  13-16). 

6  This  term  is  nsed  as  brief  and  convenient  for  distinguishing  those  proph- 
ets whose  writings  are  preserved  in  the  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament. 

6  See  the  Book  of  Jonah;  and  compare  the  "Smaller  Ancient  History,'' 
chap.  xxii. 


'19G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XV. 

10.  Menahem  and  his  son  Pekahiah  compose  the  Fifth  Dynasty 
of  Israel,  which  lasted  only  twelve  years.  Of  these,  Menahem 
feigned  ten  (b.c.  772-7G1),  and,  as  is  now  said  of  all  these  kings, 
"he  departed  not  all  his  days  from  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  the  son 
of  Nebat"  (2  Kings  xv.  17,  18). 

The  instant  decline  from  the  power  regained  on  the  east  by  the 
dynasty  of  Jehu  is  seen  in  the  renewed  vassalage  of  Israel  to  As- 
syria. "Put,  the  king  of  Assyria,  came  against  the  land,  and 
Menahem  gave  Pul  1000  talents  of  silver,  that  his  hand  might  be 
with  him,  to  confirm  the  kingdom  in  his  hand  "  (2  Kings  xv.  19, 
20:  comp.  Hosea  v.  13  ;  vii.  11 ;  viii.  9).  The  identity  of  this  king 
of  Assyria,  the  first  who  is  named  in  Scripture  history  since  Kim- 
rod,  is  unfortunately  very  doubtful.  But  the  annals  of  a  king  who 
about  this  time  united  Nineveh  and  Babylon  under  one  sceptre  re- 
cord the  capture  both  of  Damascus  and  Samaria  {Beth-Khumri, 
"the  house"  or  "city  of  Omri");7  and  the  name  of  "Menahem" 
appears  again  among  the  tributaries  of  Tiglath-pileser  II. 

17.  Pekahiah,  the  son  of  Menahem,  had  reigned  only  two  years 
(b.c.  761-759),  when  he  was  killed  by  Pekali,  the  son  of  Remaliah, 
a  military  usurper,  in  the  last  year  of  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  who  had 
held  the  sceptre  of  Judah  for  more  than  half  a  century  (2  Kings 
xv.  23-2G). 

X.  Uzziah8  was  set  on  the  throne  by  the  people,  after  the  murder 
of  his  father  Amaziah,  in  the  27th  year  of  Jeroboam  II.  He  was 
then  1G  years  old,  and  reigned  for  the  long  period  of  52  years  (b.c. 
810-758).  Like  his  grandfather  Joash  in  relation  to  Jehoiada,  he 
was  at  first  under  the  influence  of  Zechariah,  a  prophet  "  who  had 
understanding  in  the  visions  of  God."  He  began  his  reign  by  re- 
covering and  rebuilding  Eloth  (JElana  :  AkabaK),  the  old  port  of 
Solomon  and  Jehoshaphat,  at  the  eastern  head  of  the  Red  Sea.  He 
received  tribute  from  Ammon,  and  subdued  the  Philistines.  The 
Arabs  of  the  southern  desert  were  again  reduced  to  the  tributary 
condition.  Towers  were  built  and  wells  were  dug,  both  in  the 
maritime  plain  (Shefiilah")  and  the  Idurmean  desert  (Arabalt),  for  the 
king's  numerous  flocks;  and  he  had  husbandmen  and  vine-dressers 
in  the  plains  and  mountains.  He  repaired  the  wall  of  Jerusalem, 
where  it  had  been  broken  down  by  Jehoash,  and  armed  it  with 
newly-invented  engines,  like  the  ballista  and  catapult.  He  kept 
on  foot  a  great  army,  "  that  made  war  with  mighty  power  ;"  "  and 
his  name  spread  far  abroad,  for  lie  was  marvellously  helped,  till  he 
was  strong." 

7  See  farther  on  these  questions  in  the  "Smaller  Ancient  History,"  chap.xsii. 
B  The  name  Azariah,  given  to  himin  Kings,  arises  probably  from  a  con- 
fusion with  the  high-priest  Azariah  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  17). 


B.C.  884-721.    UZZ1AH,  JOTHAM,  AND  AHAZ.  197 

But,  deprived  probably  of  the  counsel  of  Zechariah,  he  could  not 
bear  his  prosperity.  He  usurped  the  priestly  office  by  entering  the 
holy  place  to  burn  incense;  and,  in  the  act  of  angrily  resenting  the 
command  of  the  high-priest  Azariah  to  leave  the  sanctuary,  he  was 
smitten  with  leprosy,  and  secluded  in  a  separate  house  to  the  day 
of  his  death.  Nor  was  he  received  into  the  sepulchre  of  the  kings, 
but  buried  in  a  field  attached  to  it.  His  life  was  written  by 
Isaiah,  who  began  to  prophesy  in  his  reign  (2  Kings  xv.  1-7; 
2  Cliron.  xxvi.  :  comp.  Isa.  i.  1  ;  vi.  1,  a  prophecy  "  in  the  year  that 
king  Uzziah  died"). 

XI.  Jotiiam,  who  had  been  regent  for  about  seven  years  during 
his  father's  leprosy,  succeeded  him  at  the  age  of  25,  and  reigned  1(> 
years  (b.c.  758-742).  He  was  one  of  the  most  pious  kings  of  Ju- 
dah,  but  the  people  grew  more  and  more  corrupt.  lie  carried  on 
his  father's  great  works  in  peace  and  war,  and  reduced  the  Ammon- 
ites to  tribute.  "So  Jotham  became  mighty,  and  established  his 
ways  before  Jehovah  his  God"  (2  Kings  xv.  32-38;  2  Chron. 
xxvii.).  In  his  reign  Micah,  who  was  born  at  Morasthi,  in  south- 
ern Judah,  began  to  prophesy  ;  and  continued,  like  Isaiah,  to  the 
reign  of  Hezekiah. 

XII.  Aiiaz  succeeded  his  father  in  the  ICth  year  of  Pekah,  and 
reigned  1G  years  (b.c.  742-72G).  He  plunged  into  idolatry  with- 
out restraint,  even  sacrificing  his  children  to  Moloch  in  the  valley 
of  Hinnom  {Gehenna).  His  punishment  quickly  followed.  Three 
years  before  his  accession,  the  throne  of  Nineveh  had  been  usurped 
by  TiGLATii-riLESER  II.,  the  founder  of  the  "New  Assyrian  Mon- 
archy," the  history  of  which  is  henceforth  closely  connected  with 
that  of  Syria  and  Palestine.  In  order,  as  it  seems,  to  strengthen 
themselves  against  his  attacks,  Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  and  Rezin, 
king  of  Damascus,  formed  a  league  to  set  on  the  throne  of  Judah 
a  creature  of  their  own,  the  son  of  Tabeal.  They  defeated  the 
army  of  Ahaz  with  great  slaughter,  but  they  failed  to  take  Jerusa- 
lem. It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Isaiah  delivered  the  grand  proph- 
ecy of  the  destruction  of  both  kings  by  Assyria,  and  of  the  king- 
dom of  Immaxuel.  While  Rezin  took  from  Judah  the  port  of 
Elath  on  the  Red  Sea,  Pekah  returned  to  Samaria  with  his  cap- 
tives, whose  release,  at  the  command  of  the  prophet  Oded,  throws 
a  last  gleam  of  dying  glory  over  the  history  of  Israel.  The  liber- 
ated Edomites  invaded  Judah  on  the  one  side,  while  the  Philistines 
on  the  other  took  many  of  her  strong  cities  ;  and  the  kings  of  Syria 
and  Israel  renewed  their  attacks.  In  this  extremity  Ahaz  sought 
the  aid  of  Tiglath-pileser,  whose  vengeance  upon  Syria  and  Israel 
will  be  noticed  presently. 

But  Ahaz  fared  scarcely  better  from  his  too-powerful  ally,  wha 


198  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XV. 

"distressed  him,  but  strengthened  him  not."  He  went  to  meet  tha 
Assyrian  king  at  Damascus,  and  in  return  for  his  abject  homage — 
"I  am  thy  servant  and  thy  son" — received  such  hard  conditions 
that  "he  left  Judah  naked."9  Worse  than  all,  "in  the  time  of 
his  distress  he  trespassed  yet  more  against  Jehovah."  From  Da- 
mascus he  sent  home  the  pattern  of  an  altar  which  he  had  seen 
there,  and  he  had  its  counterpart  set  up  in  place  of  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering.  All  the  golden,  and  even  some  of  the  brazen,  sa- 
cred vessels  were  cut  to  pieces  and  sent  to  Assyria;  and  the  temple 
itself  was  closed  ;  while  idol  altars  were  set  up  in  every  corner  of 
Jerusalem,  and  high  places  in  every  city  of  Judah.  But  another 
respite  was  given  by  the  death  of  Ahaz,  who  was  buried  in  Jerusa- 
lem, but  not  in  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings;  and  a  new  era  of  godli- 
ness is  marked  by  the  accession  of  his  son  Hezekiah,  just  before 
the  destruction  of  Israel  was  fully  accomplished  (2  Kings  xvi.  ;  2 
Chron.  xxviii.). 

18.  The  usurper  Pekah  reigned  20  years  (n.c.  759-739),  and 
was  the  only  king  of  the  Sixth  Dynasty  of  Israel.  Under  him  be- 
gan the  Captivity  of  Israel,  which  was  completed  under  his  succes- 
sor. We  must  turn  to  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Amos  for  the 
fearful  sufferings,  which  Israel  shared  with  Syria  and  the  neighbor- 
ing nations,  from  the  invasion  of  Tiglath-pileser  at  the  call  of  Ahaz 
(Isa.  viii.-x.  ;  Amos  i.,  ii.).  It  seems  to  have  been  before  this  that 
"he  lightly  afflicted  the  land  of  Zabulon  and  Naphthali,"by  carry- 
ing away  a  part  of  the  northern  Israelites  captive,  with  those  of  Gil- 
ead  beyond  the  Jordan;  but  now  "he  more  grievously  afflicted 
them,"  and  the  whole  population  east  of  the  Jordan  was  carried 
into  captivity.  Thus  the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half  Manas- 
seh  at  length  reaped  the  fruit  of  their  hasty  desire  to  settle  in  that 
part  of  the  land  which  was  the  most  exposed  to  the  invader.  Thev 
were  settled  anew  in  Halah,  Habor,  and  Hara  (i.e.,  Harran)  and 
the  river  Gozan,  in  north-western  Mesopotamia,  the  very  region 
from  which  Abraham  came  into  Palestine.  The  Syrians,  also,  wero 
transplanted  to  their  old  abode  at  Kir,  after  Damascus  had  been  de* 
stroyed  and  Rczin  slain,  about  235  years  after  his  namesake  had 
first  founded  the  kingdom  which  now  came  to  an  end.  After  these 
disasters,  Pekah  fell  the  victim  to  a  conspiracy  formed  by  Hoshea, 
the  son  of  Elan  (2  Kings  xv.  27-31 ;  xvi.  5-9  ';   I  Chron.  v.  26).'° 

6  The  annals  of  Tiglath-pileser  record  his  receipt  of  tribute  from  the  king 
of  Judah,  Yahu-Khazi ;  and  Jehoahaz  was  probably  the  fall  name  of  Ahaz. 

10  There  are  difficulties  in  the  narrative  of  the  two  stages  of  this  first  cap- 
tivity, which  can  not  be  discussed  here.  Some  light  is  obtained  from  Tig- 
lath-pileser's  annals  of  his  campaigns  against  Syria  and  Israel.  (See  the 
"Smaller  Ancient  Histor}',"  chnp.  xxiii.) 


B.C.  884-721.  CAPTIVITY  OF  ISRAEL.  199 

19.  Hosiiea,  the  last  king  of  Israel,  reigned  nine  years,  reckon- 
ing to  the  final  fall  of  Samaria ;  but  really  only  seven  (b.c.  730- 
723).      "He  did  that  which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  but 
not  as  the  kings  of  Israel  that  were  before  him."     The  earnest  plead- 
ings of  his  namesake  Hosea  seem  at  last  to  have  roused  a  spirit  of 
reformation,  which  led  many  of  the  northern  Israelites  to  accept 
Hezekiah's  call  to  the  Passover  (2  Chron.  xxx.  1-12).     But  the  na- 
tion at  large  was  past  redemption,  and  the  time  of  its  fate  had  come. 
Hoshea's  rebellion  against  Assyria  was  probably  a  movement  of 
sincere,  though  rash,  patriotism.     In  b.c.  728  Tiglath-pileser  was 
succeeded  by  Shalmaneser  IV.,  who  was  not  improbably  an  usurp- 
er.    Such  changes  formed  the  usual  opportunities  of  rebellion  ;  and 
the  king  of  Israel  was  perhaps  encouraged  by  the  accession  of  Hez- 
ekiah  to  the  throne  of  Judah  in  B.C.  72G,  the  third  year  of  Hoshea. 
In  that  year  Shalmaneser  invaded  Israel,  to  enforce  the  payment 
of  the  tribute,  in  the  truly  Assyrian  fashion  of  making  war — "as 
Shalman  spoiled  Beth-arbel  in  the  day  of  battle  :  the  mother  was 
dashed  into  pieces  upon  her  children"  (Hosca  x.  14).     Hoshea 
submitted,  and  returned  to  the  state  of  a  vassal  (2  Kings  xvii.  3). 
Three  years  later  he  ventured  again  to  refuse  the  tribute,  in  reli- 
ance on  the  support  of  the  warlike  Sabaco  (or  So),  king  of  Egypt, 
an  alliance  contrary  to  the  law  of  Moses ;   and  he  was  seized  by 
Shalmaneser  and  thrown,  bound,  into  prison  (b.c.  723).     This  time 
"  the  King  of  Assyria  came  up  throughout  all  the  land,  and  went 
up  to  Samaria,  and  besieged  it  three  years"  (b.c.  723-721).     But, 
before  the  end  of  the  siege,  Shalmaneser  died,  and  his  heir  was  dis- 
placed by  the  usurper  Sargon,  whose  annals  record  the  capture  of 
Samaria,  and  the  captivity  of  "27,280  persons,"  the  gleanings  left 
by  Shalmaneser  when  "  he  went  up  through  all  the  land."     This 
last  remnant  of  the  Captivity  of  Israel  were  partly  sent  to  join  their 
brethren  in  Upper  Mesopotamia  and  partly  to   iithe  cities  of  the 
Medes"  (2  Kings  xvii.  G).      Sargon  colonized  the  land  with  Syrian 
settlers  from  Hamath,  which  he  conquered  about  this  time,  to  whom 
he  afterwards  added  Arabians,  and  Babylonians  from  Babylon  and 
Cutha  and  Sepharvaim,  the  captives  of  his  later  wars.     The  further 
colonization  by  Esarhaddon,  nearly  a  century  late/  (about  B.C.  GS8), 
was  from  Lower  Babylonia  and  Susiana.      The  mixture  of  the  na- 
tive idolatries  of  these  various  races  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah, 

There  is  a  break  here  in  the  chronology,  which  is  commonly  filled  np  by 
an  interregnum  of  nine  years  before  the  establishment  of  Hoshea  in  the  king- 
dom ;  but  it  rather  seems,  from  the  Assyrian  annals,  that  the  preceding  reigns 
might  to  be  brought  lower  down.  We  give  the  dates  of  the  received  chro- 
nology. 


200  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XV. 

which  fear  led  them  to  adopt,  laid  the  first  foundations  of  the  bitter 
hatred  between  them  and  the  restored  Jews,  which  lasted  as  long  as 
the  nations  of  Jews  and  Samaritans  (2  Kings  xvii.,  xviii.  4-8 :  comp. 
Isa.  xxviii.  1-4;   Hosea  x.  7;   Micah  v.  1). 

The  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  was  as  final  as  it  was 
complete.  After  recounting  the  sins  which  brought  npon  them 
the  punishment  foretold  by  Moses  and  Samuel  and  all  the  prophets, 
the  sacred  historian  says,  "  Therefore  Jehovah  was  very  angry  with 
Israel,  and  removed  them  out  of  His  sight :"  so  that  we  are  not  likely 
to  discover  them — "  there  teas  left  none  but  the  tribe  o/*Jldah  only." 


kJL 

plating  i^^Tr°^r(G  ttit 


-r^A 


The  City  of  Lachiah  repelling  the  attack  of  Sennacherib.    From  Layard's  "  Monuments  of  Nine- 
veh," 2d  Series,  plate  21. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SEQUEL    OF    THE    KINGDOM    OF    JUDAH. — FROM    THE    ACCESSION    OF 
IIEZEKIAII    TO    THE    BABYLONIAN    CAPTIVITY. — B.C.   726-58G. 

TnE  words  quoted  in  the  concluding  sentence  of  the  last  chapter 
are  followed  by  this  summary  of  the  remaining  history  of  the  tribe 
and  kingdom  of  Judah :  "Also  Judah  kept  not  the  commandments 
of  Jehovah  their  God,  but  walked  in  the  statutes  of  Israel  which 
they  made"  (2  Kings  xvii  19).  But  this  downward  course  was 
delayed  by  the  warnings  of  inspired  prophets  and  the  efforts  of 
pious  rulers.  Among  the  former  were  Micaii,  Hosea,  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  Nahcm,  Habakkuk,  and  Zephaniah  ;  and,  among  the 
eight  kings  who  fill  up  the  remaining  space  of  140  years,  Hezekiah 
and  Josiah  are  ranked  by  the  son  of  Sirach  as  the  two  kings  who 
did  not  forsake  the  law  of  the  Most  High  (Ecclcsiasticus  xlix.  4). 

XIII.  Hezekiah  (i.e.,  "Strength  of  (or  in)  Jehovah")  suc- 
ceeded his  father  Ahaz  in  the  third  year  of  Hosea,  at  the  age  of  25, 
and  reigned  29  years — B.C.  726-697.  (For  his  character,  see  2  Kings 
xviii.  3,  5;  2  Chron.  xxix.  2.)  In  the  very  first  month  of  his  reign 
he  reopened  the  temple  ;  and  in  the  second  month  he  kept  a  great 
Passover,  the  first  which  is  recorded  since  the  time  of  Joshua. 
The  details  of  his  religious  reformation  must  be  read  in  Scripture  : 
special  stress  is  laid  on  the  wise  zeal  which  led  him  to  destroy  such 


202  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVI. 

a  relic  as  the  brazen  serpent  of  Moses,  because  it  had  become  an 
object  of  idolatry.  His  reforms  were  opposed  by  certain  "  scornful 
men,"  rulers  of  Jerusalem,  a  party  whose  mischievous  influence 
continues  to  meet  us  till  they  brought  ruin  on  the  kingdom  and 
temple  (2  Kings  xviii.  1-8;  2  Chron.  xxix.,  xxx.,  xxxi.). 

On  the  other  hand,  Hezekiah  was  well  sustained  by  the  oracles 
of  God  delivered  through  Isaiah ;  nor  did  the  prophet  shrink  from 
reproving  the  king's  faults.  The  history  of  the  second  half  of  his 
reign  is  occupied  with  his  miraculous  recovery  from  a  mortal  ill- 
ness, his  relations  with  Babylon,  and  his  deliverance  from  Assyria  ; 
and  here  a  chronological  confusion,  which  has  crept  into  the  text 
of  "  Kings  "  and  "Isaiah,"  can  be  set  right  from  the  newly-deci- 
phered annals  of  Sargon  and  Sennacherib.  "The  14th  year  of 
Hezekiah"  (b.c.  713-712),  which  was  the  10th  of  Sargon  (who 
reigned  till  b.  c.  704),  does  not  mark  the  epoch  of  Sennacherib's 
great  invasion,  but  that  of  the  expedition  which  Sargon  sent  against 
Ashdod,  which  gave  occasion  to  Isaiah's  prophecy  against  Egypt 
and  Ethiopia  and  the  Jewish  party  which  relied  on  Egypt  (Isa. 
xx.).1  The  annals  of  Sargon  afford  no  reason  to  suppose  that  he 
attacked  Judah  on  this  occasion  ;  but  he  returned  to  resist  Mero- 
dach-baladan,  king  of  Babylon,  whose  history  is  closely  connected 
with  Ilezekiah's. 

The  mortal  illness  from  which  Hezekiah  was  miraculously  raised 
up  in  answer  to  his  prayer,  when  for  a  sign  the  sun  went  back  ten 
degrees  upon  the  dial  of  Ahaz,  must  have  been  in  that  same  14th 
year  of  his  reign  (b.c.  712);  for  15  years  were  added  to  his  life, 
and  he  reigned  29  years  (2  Kings  xx.  1-11 ;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  24  ; 
Isa.  xxxviii.).  But  this  signal  favor  was  too  much  for  his  humil- 
ity, and  he  brought  on  himself  as  signal  a  rebuke.  Merodach- 
baladan,  the  champion  of  Babylonian  independence,  whose  acces- 
sion at  Babylon  was  contemporary  with  that  of  Sargon,  was  now 
forming  a  confederacy  against  Assyria.  It  appears  to  have  been 
in  pursuance  of  this  design  that  he  sent  ambassadors  to  congratulate 
the  king  of  Judah  on  his  recovery  ;  and  to  them  Hezekiah  made  a 
display  of  all  his  treasures.  Upon  this,  Isaiah  was  sent  to  warn 
Hezekiah  of  the  destined  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  not,  however,  by 
Assyria,  but  by  the  very  power  he  was  now  courting.  Hezekiah 
humbled  himself  before  God,  and  was  comforted  with  the  assurance 
that  the  judgment  should  not  be  executed  in  his  days  (2  Kings  xx. 
12-19;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  31 ;  Isa.  xxxix.).  Meanwhile  Merodach- 
baladan  was  driven  out  of  his  kingdom  by  Sargon  (b.c.  710-9). 

1  For  the  details,  as  well  as  the  whole  relations  of  Assyria  and  Egypt  since 
the  accession  of  Sargon  and  the  capture  of  Samaria,  see  the  "  Smaller  An- 
cient History,"  chap.  xxiv. 


B.C.  72G-o8G.  REIGN  OF  HEZEKIAII.  T03 

The  latter  years  of  Sargon  were  occupied  with  troubles  at  lionie, 
while  Egypt  was  rent  by  internal  divisions.2  Hezekiah  took  the 
opportunity  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Assyria,  and  to  drive  back  the 
Philistines  as  far  as  Gaza  (2  Kings  xviii.  7,  8).  This  drew  upon 
him  the  famous  assault  of  Sennacherib — the  one  Assyrian  king,  as 
Nebuchadnezzar  is  the  one  Babylonian,  who  was  the  great  enemy 
of  Judali.  Having  succeeded  his  father  Sargon  in  the  23d  year  of 
Hezekiah  (August,  B.C.  704),  and  having  been  occupied  for  three 
years  with  the  affairs  of  Assyria  and  Babylon,  he  made  a  great  ex- 
pedition for  the  recovery  of  Phoenicia  and  Palestine  (i?.c.  701-700). 
We  learn  from  his  annals  that  the  people  of  Migron,  a  city  on  the 
Philistine  border,  had  expelled  their  king,  Padi,  a  devoted  friend  of 
Assyria,  and  given  him  up  to  "Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah."  Sennach- 
erib, marching  down  the  maritime  plain  to  attack  the  city,  found 
the  whole  forces  of  "  the  kings  of  Egypt "  and  of  "  the  king  of  Ethi- 
opia "  arrayed  against  him;  and  he  defeated  them  in  the  decisive 
battle  of  Altakou  (in  SS.  Eltekeli).  Now  it  was  that  "  Sennacherib, 
king  of  Assyria,  came  up  against  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah,  and 
took  them  "  (2  Kings  xviii.  13;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  1;  Isa.  xxxvi.  1); 
and  he  himself  records  the  capture  of  forty-four  walled  cities  and 
an  infinite  number  of  towns  by  the  force  of  fire,  massacre,  battles, 
and  besieging  towers,  with  the  captivity  of  200,150  persons,  be- 
sides innumerable  cattle.  Hezekiah  set  Padi  free,  but  "  did  not 
submit  himself,"  and  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  was  formed — "I  shut 
him  up  in  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  his  power,  like  a  bird  in  his  cage." 
The  king's  manful  preparations  for  defense,  encouraged  by  Isaiah, 
and  his  noble  exhortation  of  the  people,  may  be  read  in  the  Second 
Book  of  Chronicles  (xxxii.  1-8).  His  firm  resistance  saved  the 
city,  but  at  the  cost  of  a  heavy  ransom,  which,  with  the  injuries 
inflicted  on  the  country,  were  the  penalty  of  his  former  pride  ;  and 
there  is  a  striking  agreement  between  the  Scripture  narrative  and 
the  Assyrian  annals  respecting  the  amount  of  the  gold  and  silver 
paid  by  Hezekiah  (2  Kings  xviii.  13-16  :   comp.  2  Chron.  xxxii.  25). 

But  Sennacherib  had  no  intention  cf  finally  sparing  the  city  ; 
and,  while  he  himself  pressed  en  the  siege  of  Lachish,  the  key  of 
the  high-road  to  Egypt,  he  sent  three  cf  his  great  officers,  the  chief 
general  {Tartan),  the  chief  eunuch  (Rab-saris),  and  the  chief  cup- 
bearer (Rab-shakeh),  to  Jerusalem,  to  summon  the  people  to  submit 
to  be  removed  to  a  land  better  than  their  own.     Three  differenfr 

2  Respecting  the  state  of  Egypt  under  her  numerous  petty  prinoes,  ann"  the 
supremacy  acquired  by  Tirhakah,  the  king  ot  Ethiopia,  see  the  "Smaller 
Ancient  History,"  chap.  xi.  See  also  in  the  same  work  (chap,  xxv.)  the  ac- 
count given  iu  the  annals  of  Sennacherib  of  the  occasion  of  his  attack  on 
"  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah." 


204  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVI. 

passages  of  Scripture  give  the  details  of  that  memorable  defiance  of 
the  God  of  Judah,  to  which  Hezekiah,  encouraged  by  Isaiah,  gave 
no  answer.  The  messengers  returned  to  Sennacherib  at  Libnah, 
whither  he  had  marched  from  Lachish  on  hearing  that  Tirhakah, 
king  of  Ethiopia,  was  coming  again  to  meet  him.  Here,  near  the 
Egyptian  frontier,  occurred  the  miraculous  destruction  of  his  army, 
when  "the  angel  of  Jehovah  went  out  and  smote  in  the  camp  of  the 
Assyrians  185,000  men  ;  and  when  they  arose  early  in  the  morning, 
behold  they  were  all  dead  corpses."  Sennacherib  returned  to  Nin- 
eveh, and  reigned  20  years  longer  before  he  was  murdered  by  his 
two  elder  sons  (2  Kings  xviii.  13-xix.  end  ;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  1-22; 
Isa.  xxix.— xxxvii.). 

After  receiving  the  gifts  and  congratulations  of  his  neighbors  on 
this  great  deliverance,  Hezekiah  reigned  two  years  longer,  "  magni- 
fied in  the  sight  of  all  nations  "  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  23).  Then  he 
"slept  with  his  fathers,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  chiefest  of  the 
sepulchres  of  the  sons  of  David  ;  and  all  Judah  and  the  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem  did  him  honor  at  his  death"  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  33:  for 
the  details  of  his  wealth,  and  his  works  at  Jerusalem,  see  ibid.  27- 
30). 

XIV.  Manasseh  succeeded  at  the  age  of  12,  and  reigned  55 
years  (h.c.  697-G42).  His  mother,  Hephzi-bah  ("  delightsome  ;"  see 
Isa.  Ixii.  4,  5),  seems  to  have  been  married  by  Hezekiah  after  his  mi- 
raculous recovery.  The  reign  of  Manasseh  was  a  period  of  fatal 
religious  reaction,  which  has  been  compared  to  that  of  Mary  in  our 
own  histor}'.  The  description  of  his  idolatries  includes  every  form 
of  false  religion  and  abominable  vice  that  Israel  had  ever  learnt 
from  the  heathen  nations  ;  and  for  the  first  time  an  idol  was  set  up 
in  the  sanctuary  itself.  In  vain  were  prophets  sent  to  denounce 
upon  Judah  and  Jerusalem  the  fate  of  Israel  and  Samaria  by  the 
most  striking  images  (2  Kings  xxi.  10-15).  The  king  tried  to  si- 
lence them  by  the  fiercest  persecution  recorded  in  the  Jewish  an- 
nals, till  "  he  had  filled  Jerusalem  with  innocent  blood."  Among 
these  martyrs  tradition  says  that  Isaiah  was  "  sawn  asunder"  (see 
Hcb.  xi.  37).  At  all  events,  he  must  have  died  about  this  time; 
and  the  prophetic  voice  was  henceforth  silent  for  a  whole  genera- 
tion, till  the  reign  of  Josiah. 

In  the  22d  year  of  Manasseh,  Esar-iiaddox,  the  king  both  of 
Assyria  and  Babylon,  sent  a  force  to  Jerusalem,  who  carried  Ma- 
nasseh in  fetters  to  Babylon,  on  a  charge  of  treason.  The  severity 
of  his  imprisonment  brought  him  to  repentance  ;  and,  being  re- 
stored to  his  kingdom,  he  effected  a  partial  religious  reformation, 
and  repaired  the  defenses  of  Jerusalem.  When  he  died,  he  was  bu- 
ried in  the  Garden  of  lr-.x<r,  attached  to  his  own  house,  not  in  the 


B.C.  726-5S6.  AMON.— JOSIAH.  205 

sepulchres  of  the  kings  ;  and  his  memory  is  held  in  detestation  by 
the  Jews  (2  Kings  xxi.  1-16  ;  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  1-20). 

XV.  Amos  succeeded  his  father  at  the  age  of  22  ;  and  after  a 
reign  of  two  years  (b.c.  641-640),  during  which  he  followed  Ma- 
nasseh's  idolatries,  without  sharing  his  repentance,  he  fell  the  victim 
of  a  court  conspiracy,  and  was  buried  with  his  father,  in  the  Gar- 
den of  Uzza.  The  conspirators  were  slain  by  the  people,  who  raised 
Josiah,  the  infant  son  of  Anion,  to  the  throne  (2  Kings  xxi.  l(J-26  ; 
2  Chron.  xxxiii.  21-25). 

XVI.  Josiah  was  eight  years  old  at  his  accession,  and  reigned 
31  years  (b.c.  639-608).  His  reign  marks  the  last  dying  glory  of 
the  earthly  kingdom  of  David.  The  deep  corruption  that  prevailed 
during  his  minority  is  drawn  in  the  blackest  colors  by  Zephaniah 
and  Jeremiah,  who,  as  well  as  Habakkuk,  began  to  prophesy  in 
his  reign.  But,  in  the  lGth  year  of  his  age,  he  "  began  to  seek  af- 
ter the  God  of  David  his  father,"  and  at  the  age  of  20  (in  the  12th 
year  of  his  reign)  he  made  a  progress  not  only  through  Judah,  but 
through  parts  of  northern  Israel,  to  put  away  all  objects  of  idolatry. 
His  zeal  was  quickened  by  the  high-priest's  discovery,  in  the  temple, 
of  the  Book  of  the  Law,  which  was  read  before  the  king  and  people, 
with  the  force  of  a  new  revelation.  Its  terrible  denunciations  led 
Josiah  to  consult  the  prophetess  Huldah,  who  confirmed  the  fate  of 
the  city  and  kingdom,  but  promised  that  the  evil  should  not  come 
in  his  time.  Having  held  a  solemn  assembly,  for  the  public  read- 
ing of  the  law  and  the  renewal  of  the  people's  covenant  with  Je- 
hovah, the  king  resumed  the  work  of  reformation,  the  details  of 
which  must  be  read  in  Scripture.  At  Bethel  he  fulfilled  to  the 
very  letter  what  had  been  said  of  him,  by  name,  by  the  prophet  who 
denounced  the  idolatry  of  Jeroboam.  Returning  to  Jerusalem  in 
the  18th  year  of  his  reign,  he  kept  the  greatest  Passover  since  the 
time  of  Moses — the  last  united  act  of  religion  before  the  Captivity. 

The  first  in  the  train  of  events,  which  now  led  rapidly  to  that 
end,  was  the  disastrous  death  of  Josiah  at  Megiddo,  whither  he  had 
gone  out  to  oppose  the  march  of  Pharaoii-neciioii  towards  the  Eu- 
phrates, and  where  he  was  mortally  wounded  by  the  Egyptian  arch- 
ers. He  was  carried  back  to  Jerusalem,  and  buried  in  the  sepulchre 
of  the  kings.3  The  last  real  king  of  Judah  fell  on  the  same  field 
where  the  hopes  raised  at  the  election  of  the  first  king  of  Israel 
^id  been  extinguished;  and,  as  David  mourned  for  Saul,  so  much 
more  bitterly  did  the  people  echo  the  dirge  of  Jeremiah  for  Josiah  : 
"  The  breath  of  our  nostrils,  the  anointed  of  Jehovah,  was  taken  in 

3  For  the  events  which  caused  the  march  of  Pharaoh-nechoh  to  the  Eu- 
phrates, and  the  whole  story  of  the  fall  of  Nineveh  and  the  rise  of  the  Baby 
Ionian  empire,  see  the  "  Smaller  Ancient  History,"  chaps,  xii.,  xxvfii.,  xxix. 


200  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVI. 

their  pits,  of  whom  we  said.  Under  his  shadow  shall  we  live  among 
the  heathen."  Even  after  the  Captivity,  "  the  mourning  of  Hadad- 
rimmon  in  the  valley  of  Megiddon  "  was  the  type  of  the  deepest 
national  affliction  (2  Kings  xxii.,  xxiii. ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.,  xxxv.  ; 
Jer.  Lament,  iv.  20;   Zech.  xii.  11). 

The  reigns  of  Josiah's  four  successors  form  but  as  many  steps  in 
the  destruction  of  the  kingdom,  which  we  must  be  content  to  trace 
very  briefly,  leaving  the  somewhat  intricate  details  for  future  study.4 
To  follow  the  events  of  these  twenty-two  years,  we  must  have  a  clear 
view  of  the  family  of  Josiah,  the  stem  of  which  is  as  follows: 

JoSIAII. 

I 

Johanan  Eliakim  Mattaniah  Shallum 

(Jehoahaz?).  (Jehoiakim).  (Zedekiah).  (Jehoauaz?). 


Jehoiachin  or  Jeconiau  (Coniau).  Zedekiah  (accordiug  to  some). 

XVII.  Jehoahaz,  the  son  of  Josiah  and  Hamutai,  was  placed  on 
the  throne  by  the  people  on  Josiah's  death,  only  to  be  deposed  by 
Pharaoh-nechoh  on  his  return  from  taking  Carchemish.  He  was 
carried  a  prisoner  to  Egypt,  where  he  soon  died  (2  Kings  xxiii.  30- 
33  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  1-3  ;  Jer.  xxii.  10-12). 

XVIII.  Jehoiakim  was  the  new  name  given  to  Eliakim,  the  son 
of  Josiah  and  Zebudah,  who  was  placed  on  the  throne  by  Pharaoh- 
nechoh  as  a  tributary  to  Egypt.  He  was  then  25  years  old,  and 
reigned  most  wickedly  for  1 1  years  (b.c.  608-597).  During  the 
whole  of  that  period,  as  well  as  to  the  fall  of  the  city,  Jeremiah  was 
constantly  denouncing  the  crimes  and  evil  policy  of  the  court  and 
nobles,  especially  of  the  Egyptianizing  party,  amidst  the  opposition 
and  persecutions  recorded  in  the  Book  of  his  prophecies  (2  Kings 
xxiii.  34-37  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  4-8  ;   Jer.  xiii.-xix.,  xx.,  xxii.,  xxvi., 

etc.). 

In  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  (b.c.  G05),  Nebuchadnezzar,5 
the  son  of  Naropolassar,  the  founder  of  the  Babylonian  empire, 
drove  the  Egyptians  out  of  Carchemish,  and  at  one  blow  destroyed 
the  power  of  Egypt  in  Western  Asia.  Advancing  in  pursuit  he 
took  Jerusalem,  and  carried  off  the  vessels  of  the  temple  to  Babylon, 
with  a  number  of  captives.     Among  several  royal  and  noble  youths, 

4  A  fuller  account,  with  the  needful  discussion  of  difficulties,  will  be  found 
in  the  "Student's  Old  Testament  History,"  chap.  xxv.  (Comp.  the  "Stu- 
dent's Ancient  History,"  chap,  xv.) 

8  The  form  Nebuchadrezzar,  used  by  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel,  more  nearly  rep- 
resents the  Babylonian  Xabu-kuduri-vzur.  The  name  is  commonly  given 
by  the  Greeks  as  Xabuchodonosor. 


B.C.  726-58G.       SUCCESSORS  OF  JOS1AII.  207 

selected  to  be  trained  in  the  learning  of  the  Chaldseans,  were  Daniel, 
and  his  three  companions,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah,  whose 
striking  history  under  their  Chaldasan  names  of  Belteshazzar,  Sha- 
drach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  is  related  in  the  book  of  Daniel. 
This,  which  was  the  First  Captivity  of  Jiulali,  is  reckoned  as  the 
beginning  of  the  Seventy  Years'  Captivity,  which  Jeremiah  had 
prophesied,  together  with  the  Fall  of  Babylon  and  the  Return  of  the 
Jews,  during  the  advance  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  So  clear  is  this  proph- 
ecy, that  Daniel  was  enabled  to  calculate  from  it  the  exact  date 
of  the  promised  restoration,  which  was  fulfilled  by  the  decree  of 
Cyrus,  in  b.c.  53G  (2  Kings  xxiv.  1  ;  Dan.  i.  3-7  ;  Jer.  xlvi.  1-12  ; 
xxv.  :  comp.  Dan.  ix.  1,  2;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22  ;  Ezra  i.  1).  Mean- 
while the  death  of  Nabopolassar  hastened  the  return  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar to  Babylon,  where  his  accession  is  fixed  to  the  epoch  of  Jan. 
21st,  B.C.  GO±.° 

Jehoiakim  himself  was  at  first  deposed  and  bound,  to  be  carried 
to  Babylon ;  but  Nebuchadnezzar  replaced  him  on  the  throne  as  a 
vassal.  In  three  years  he  rebelled,  in  vain  reliance  on  aid  from 
Egypt  (b.c.  602) ;  but  "the  king  of  Egypt  came  not  again  any  more 
out  of  his  land  ;  for  the  king  of  Babylon  had  taken,  from  the  river 
of  Egypt  unto  the  river  Euphrates,  all  that  pertained  to  the  king  of 
Egypt"  (2  Kings  xxiv.  7).  For  some  reason,  it  was  not  till  the  sev. 
enth  year  of  his  reign  that  Nebuchadnezzar  marched  against  Jeru- 
salem, and  put  Jehoiakim  to  death,  treating  his  body  with  indignity, 
as  Jeremiah  had  predicted  (2  Kings  xxiv.  1-6  ;  2  Citron,  xxxvi.  5-8  ; 
Jer.  xxii.  18,  19;   xxxvi.  30). 

XIX.  Jehoiaciiin,  Jeconiah,  or,  by  abbreviation  Coniah,  the 
young  son  of  Jehoiakim,7  was  raised  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  his 
father's  throne,  apparently  under  the  guardianship  of  his  mother, 
Nehushta.  It  appears  to  have  been  the  renewed  intrigues  of  the 
queen  and  the  princes  of  Judah  with  Egypt  that  brought  down,  in 
the  short  space  of  three  months  (March  to  June  b.c.  597),  the  ter- 
rible prophecy  which  Jeremiah  hangs  upon  the  meaning  of  the  king's 
name,  "appointed  of  Jehovah  "  (Jer.  xxii.  24-30  ;  xxxiii.).  Jeru- 
salem was  saved  from  storm  by  the  surrender  of  Jehoiaciiin,  with  his 
mother,  his  harem,  and  all  his  princes  and  officers.  These,  and  all 
the  warriors  and  skilled  artisans,  were  carried  to  Babylon,  to  the 
number  of  10,000  ;  with  all  the  remaining  treasures  of  the  temple 
and  palace.  Among  the  captives  were  the  prophet  Ezeiciel,  and 
the  grandfather  of  Mordecai.     None  were  left  behind  but  the  poor- 

e  We  now  obtain  a  definite  chronology  from  the  way  in  which  Scripture 
dates  by  the  years  of  Nebuchadnezzar  as  well  as  of  the  kings  of  Judah.  E/.e- 
kiul  dates  by  years  of  the  Captivity,  that  is,  of  the  Second  or  Great  Captivity, 
the  epoch  of  which  is  June,  h.o.  597. 

7  His  aire  is  given  differently  in  Kings  and  Chronicles  as  IS  or  8. 


208  SCKIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVI. 

est  sort  of  the  people.  This  is  called  the  Great  Captivity  (2  Kings 
xxiv.  10-1G;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  0,  10). 

The  strange  forbearance  of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  not  destroying 
Jerusalem  after  this  third  rebellion  may  probably  be  accounted  for 
by  the  fact  that  he  bad  already  received  the  first  of  those  great  les- 
sons of  Jehovah's  power  and  majesty,  which  are  recorded  in  the 
book  of  Daniel ;  for  tlie  rebuke  of  his  dream  of  universal  empire  by 
the  vision  of  the  colossal  image  was  in  the  third  year  of  his  reign, 
b.c.  603  (Dan.  ii.). 

XX.  Tbe  last  king  of  Judah  was  Mattaniah,  the  son  of  Josiah 
and  Hamutai,  whose  name  was  changed  to  Zedekiah  ("Justice  of 
Jehovah  "),  doubtless  as  a  pledge  of  the  solemn  covenant  to  which 
"  Nebuchadnezzar  made  him  swear  by  God,"  and  which  he  shame- 
lessly broke.  His  reign  of  1 1  years  (b.c.  597-586)  was  one  series  of 
intrigues  with  Egypt  and  with  the  captive  Jews  in  Babylon,  against 
the  remonstrances  of  Jeremiah  and  his  prophecies  of  tbe  fatal  end, 
which  were  echoed  by  Ezekiel  from  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 

At  length  bis  detected  conspiracy  with  tbe  rash  and  arrogant  king 
of  Egypt,  Pharaoh-hophra,  brought  up  Nebuchadnezzar  against  Je- 
rusalem, with  "all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  of  his  dominion." 
The  city  was  invested  on  the  10th  day  of  the  10th  month  (Thebct) 
of  the  9th  year  of  Zedekiah,  which  is  to  this  day  a  Jewish  fast 
(about  Dec.  20th,  b.c.  589),  and  the  siege  lasted  a  year  and  a  half; 
but  not  without  a  gleam  of  delusive  hope.  Pharaoh-hophra  march- 
ed to  its  relief  with  a  great  army,  and  took  Gaza ;  but  on  the 
approach  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  he  retired  to  Egypt,  and  the  Chal- 
da  :ans,  who  had  left  Jerusalem,  re-formed  the  siege.  At  length, 
on  the  9th  day  of  the  4th  month  (Thammuz=June-July)in  Zede- 
kiah's  11th  year,  b.c.  586,  a  breach  was  made,  and  the  city  taken; 
and  Zedekiah  was  caught  in  an  attempt  at  flight,  and  carried  to 
Nebuchadnezzar  at  Riblah,  in  Hamath.  Having  seen  the  slaugh- 
ter of  all  his  sons  and  the  princes  of  Judah,  his  eyes  were  put  out, 
and  he  was  sent  to  Babylon,  where  he  remained  a  close  prisoner  till 
his  death,  each  particular  of  his  fate  having  been  minutely  predict- 
ed by  Jeremiah.  After  the  remaining  spoil  had  been  collected,  Je- 
rusalem and  the  temple  were  given  to  the  flames,  and  the  walls 
razed  to  the  ground,  on  tha  10th  day  of  the  5th  month  (Ab),  in  the 
19th  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  which  is  still  observed  as  a  fast  only 
second  to  the  great  Day  of  Atonement.  The  miserable  remnant  left 
to  till  the  land,  with  whom  the  prophet  Jeremiah  remained,  were 
afterwards  carried  into  Egypt,  and  "the  land  lay  desolate  and  kept 
her  Sabbaths,  to  fulfill  three-score-and-ten  years."  Even  this  great 
catastrophe  is  lighted  up  hy  the  redeeming  idea  of  rest,  to  prepare 
for  the  promised  restoration  (2  Kings  xxiv.  1  7-xx.v.  2G  ;  «nd  the 
corresponding  passages  of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel). 


The  Kasr.  or  remains  of  the  ancient  Palace  at  Babylon. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    CAPTIVITY    AT    BABYLON. B.C.  586-536. 

The  cruel  policy  of  transplanting  conquered  nations — common 
to  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  kings — was  mitigated  by  the  degree 
of  freedom  allowed  to  the  captives.  There  was  enough  and  more 
than  enough  of  hardship  to  add  bitterness  to  the  loss  of  their  free 
eon. i  try,  their  paternal  homes,  and,  especially  in  the  case  of  the 
Jews,  their  sacred  rites  at  the  House  of  God.  Those  required  for 
Held  and  domestic  service  were  doubtless  ruthlessly  enslaved  ;  and 
the  whole  mass  had  to  give  forced  labor  on  the  great  works  with 
which  Nebuchadnezzar  strengthened  and  embellished  Babylon. 
But  the  intervals  of  labor  were  their  own;  they  lived  together  on 
lands  allotted  to  them  under  the  rule  of  their  own  elders  :  they 
built  themselves  houses,  and  planted  vineyards  and  gardens  f.Jer 

O 


210  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVII. 

xxix.  28)  :  and,  unless  at  some  great  festival  in  honor  of  Eel  or  Neba 
(Dan.  iii.),  they  were  not  required  to  worship  the  gods  of  their  con- 
querors. Those  conquerors  were  even  curious  to  hear  the  solemn 
chants  and  cheerful  songs  which  had  been  used  in  the  worship  of 
Jehovah — a  sort  of  composition  of  which  they  themselves  were  very 
fond1 — and  their  demand  called  forth  that  exquisite  complaint  which 
we  read  in  the  137th  Psalm.  The  "rivers  of  Babylon  "  of  that 
Psalm  are  very  probably  the  great  canals  which  the  captives  were 
employed  to  dig,  and  beside  which  they  sat  down  to  rest  at  the 
close  of  the  day's  labor  in  one  of  the  hottest  plains  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  ;  and  the  river  Cliebar,  where  Ezekiel  saw  his  earlier  vis- 
ions, is  thought  to  be  the  great  Nakr  Afalcha,  or  "  Royal  River,' 
which  connected  the  Tigris  with  the  Euphrates.  Many  passages  of 
his  prophecies  attest  the  liberty  left  to  the  Jews  in  relation  to  their 
own  affairs.  That  qualifications  of  mind  or  person  could — as  is 
usual  in  Eastern  kingdoms — raise  the  captives  to  the  highest  posi- 
tions, is  seen  in  the  case  of  Daniel  and  his  three  companions;  and 
in  those  of  Nehemiah,  Esther,  and  Mordecai,  under  the  Persians. 
Their  history  contains  the  few  facts  that  we  know  about  the  Jews  in 
the  land  of  their  captivity.  The  Prophecies  of  Ezekiel,  though 
uttered  in  Babylonia,  are  chiefly  concerned  with  the  events  in  Ju- 
dtea  and  its  neighborhood  during  the  reign  of  Zedekiah,  and  with 
the  future  restoration.  All  that  we  are  told  of  the  interval  before 
the  fall  of  Babylon,  except  the  concluding  passage  in  the  "  Second 
Book  of  Kings,"  is  contained  in  the  Book  of  Daniel,  and  has  almost 
more  to  do  with  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  successors  in  the  Empire 
of  the  East  than  with  the  state  of  the  captive  Jews. 

In  one  word,  the  great  conqueror  was  taught  the  limits  of  his 
power — the  vanity  of  those  dreams  of  empire  in  which  the  conquer- 
ors that  were  to  overthrow  his  empire  would  in  their  turn  also  in- 
dulge— and  the  final  triumph  of  that  God  whom  he  thought  he  had 
conquered,  but  of  whose  will  he  was  proved  to  be  the  helpless  in- 
strument. He  learned  this  in  three  great  lessons,  each  coming 
nearer  and  nearer  to  his  own  person  ;  and  he  learned  them  all 
through  the  captive  servants  of  Jehovah.  It  was  the  policy  of 
Eastern  monarchs  to  devote  the  best  of  the  persons,  as  well  as  the 
substance,  of  conquered  peoples,  to  their  own  state  and  pleasure. 
Thus  we  have  seen  that,  in  the  first  stage  of  the  Captivity,  some  of 
the  noblest,  fairest,  and  cleverest  of  the  Hebrew  youths  were  select- 
ed to  wait  upon  the  king,  and  to  be  trained  in  "  the  learning  and 
tongue  of  the  Chaldeans" — the  priestly  caste,  who  possessed  all 
the  secular  and  religions  knowledge  of  the  age,  and  practised  the 

1  The  most  conspicuous  remains  of  the  oldest  Babylonian  literature,  now 
brought  to  light  by  the  cuneiform  discoveries,  are  hymns  in  honor  of  the  k<><1s. 


B.C.586-o3G.  THE  CAPTIVITY.  211 

arts  of  magic,  divination,  and  interpreting  of  dreams.  Four  of 
these  youths,  Daniel  and  his  three  companions,  refused  the  wino 
and  royal  dainties  provided  for  them,  and  persuaded  the  officer,  in 
whose  care  they  were  placed,  to  allow  them,  after  a  fair  experiment, 
to  drink  water  and  to  live  on  pulse  or  grain.  On  this  diet  they 
grew  as  much  fairer  in  person  as  they  excelled  all  their  comrades 
in  learning ;  and,  when  they  were  brought  before  Nebuchadnezzar 
at  the  end  of  the  three  years'  probation,  "  he  found  them  ten  times 
better  than  all  the  magicians  and  astrologers  that  were  in  his 
realm."  They  were  fully  enrolled  in  the  Chaldsean  order,  of  which 
Daniel  was  afterwards  made  the  chief  (Dan.  ii.  48)  ;  and  the  new 
names  given  to  them  are  (as  usual)  significant  of  dedication  to  the 
gods  of  Babylon  (Dan.  i.). 

It  was  about  the  very  time  of  their  first  appearance  before  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, that  Daniel  proved  that  the  inspiration  of  Jehovah  put 
to  shame  all  the  art  of  the  Chaldffians,  by  interpreting  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's Dream  of  the  Four  Great  Emjdres  of  the  World,  which 
were  to  fall  before  the  unseen  power  of  unknown  origin — "  the 
kingdom  set  up  by  the  God  of  heaven,  which  shall  never  be  de- 
stroyed "  (Dan.  ii.  ;  see  above,  p.  20S). 

The  king  confessed  the  power  of  Daniel's  God  ;  and  while  mak- 
ing him  governor  and  chief  judge  of  Babylon,  he  committed  the 
province,  under  him,  to  his  three  companions,  whose  refusal  to  take 
their  share  in  a  great  idol  festival  gave  Nebuchadnezzar  his  second 
lesson.  The  deliverance  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego 
from  the  burning  fiery  furnace  must  have  been  doubly  impressive 
from  the  fate  of  two  of  the  false  prophets,  who  had  opposed  Jere- 
miah, and  predicted  an  early  return  from  the  captivity,  whom  "  the 
king  of  Babylon  roasted  in  the  fire"  (Dan.  iii. :  comp.  Jer.  xxix.  22). 

At  length,  when  Nebuchadnezzar  had  ended  all  his  wars  and  fin- 
ished his  great  buildings  at  Babylon,  another  dream  warned  him 
of  that  signal  humiliation  of  his  pride  which  he  himself  published 
in  a  decree,  proclaiming  to  "  all  people,  nations,  and  languages 
that  dwell  in  all  the  earth"  the  everlasting  dominion  and  perpet- 
ual kingdom  of  the  Most  High  God  (Dan.  iv.).  The  degrading 
affliction  which  fell  upon  Nebuchadnezzar  was  the  disease  known 
as  Lycanthropy,  in  which  the  patient  fancies  himself  a  wild  or  (as 
in  this  case)  a  domestic  beast,  goes  on  all  fours,  and  refuses  ordina- 
ry food  and  tendance  and  the  shelter  of  a  roof.  It  is  not  known 
whether  the  "  seven  times"  of  his  disease  mean  years  or  months. 
It  is  supposed  that  his  insanity  befell  at  about  B.C.  569.  He  died 
about  midsummer,  B.C.  561,  in  the  44th  year  of  his  reign. 

s  Observe  that  the  Chaldreaus  had  a  language  of  their  own ;  a  fact  fully 
confirmed  by  the  remains  of  cuneiform  literature. 


212  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVII. 

His  son  Evil-mebodach,  who  reigned  only  two  years,  released 
the  Jewish  king  Jehoiachin  from  his  37  years'  imprisonment;  gave 
him  a  maintenance  at  his  own  table,  and  a  place  above  all  the  oth- 
er conquered  kings  that  were  at  Babylon  (2  Kings  xxv.  27-30). 
But  Jehoiachin  neither  lived,  nor  left  any  son,  to  return  to  Jerusa- 
lem. The  sentence  was  fulfilled,  "Write  this  man  childless;  for 
no  man  of  his  seed  shall  prosper,  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David, 
and  ruling  any  more  in  Jerusalem"  (Jer.  xxii.  30).  With  him 
ended  the  temporal  kingdom  given  to  the  line  of  Solomon — to  the 
line  of  whose  next  elder  brother,  Nathan,  the  royal  genealogy  pass- 
ed on  in  the  person  of  Salathiel,  the  ancestor  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Book  of  Daniel,  which  gives  a  series  of  visions  and  prophe- 
cies, and  not  a  connected  history,  names  none  of  the  successors  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  till  Belshazzar  (properly  Bil-shar-utzur,  "Bel! 
protect  the  king  ").  We  now  know  that  Belshazzar  was  associated 
in  the  kingdom  with  his  father  Nabonadius,  probably  as  being  the 
lineal  descendant  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  is  repeatedly  called  his 
father  (Dan.  v.  2,  11,  13, 18,  22). 

It  was  in  B.C.  538  that  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia — whom  God,  by 
the  mouth  of  Isaiah,  had  long  since  "called  by  his  name,"  as  the 
appointed  instrument  of  his  will,  to  take  vengeance  for  his  people 
upon  Babylon  (Isa.  xliv.  28 ;  xlv.  4) — marched  down  from  the  hills 
of  Zagrus,  and  overthrew  Nabonadius  in  a  battle  before  Babylon. 
The  king  fled  to  Borsippa,  the  strong  and  sacred  city  of  the  Chal- 
deans, and  his  son  Belshazzar  was  shut  up  in  Babylon.  Besides  the 
vast  outer  walls,  the  quays  of  the  Euphrates,  which  ran  through 
the  city,  were  strongly  fortified,  and  the  openings  to  the  cross-streets 
were  defended  by  those  "two-leaved  gates  of  brass"  which  were 
now  "opened"  before  the  conqueror  (Isa.  xlv.  1,  2).  Cyrus,  when 
almost  driven  to  despair  by  the  long  resistance,  turned  the  course  of 
the  river  above  the  city,  to  gain  an  entrance  by  its  bed.  The  river 
gates  were  left  open  when  all  the  city  was  revelling  in  that  famous 
feast  amidst  which  Belshazzar  saw  his  sentence  written  on  the 
wall,  "Mene!  Mexe!  Tekel  !  Upharsin!"  We  turn  here  to 
the  very  words  of  that  wonderful  chapter  in  Daniel,  which  ends 
with  the  simple  statement,  "  In  that  night  was  Belshazzar,  the  king 
of  the  Chaldeans,  slain"  (Dan.  v.).  But  Jeremiah  had  before  de- 
picted, with  equal  vividness,  the  scene  which  he  beheld  in  prophet- 
ic vision  when  the  Persians  poured  in  through  the  open  river  gates 
upon  the  drunken  and  bewildered  revellers,  and  put  them  to  the 
sword,  and  gave  Babylon  to  the  flames  (Jer.  1.,  li.).  Nabonadius 
surrendered  at  Borsippa,  and  the  kingdom  of  Babylon  came  to  an 
end. 

The  book  of  Daniel  adds:    "And  Darius  the  Median  took  (or 


B.C.  586-536.  THE  RESTORATION.  213 

received)  the  kingdom"  (Dan.  v.  31);  and  the  prophet's  great  act 
of  humiliation  and  prayer — when  he  "understood  by  books"  that 
the  end  of  the  70  years'  captivity,  predicted  by  Jeremiah,  was  ap- 
proaching— as  well  as  the  concluding  prophecy  of  his  book  (Dan. 
xi.,  xii.),  are  dated  in  "  the  first  year  of  Darius,  the  son  of  Ahasue- 
rus,  of  the  seed  of  the  Modes,  which  was  made  king  over  the  realm 
of  the  Chaldeans"  (Dan.  ix.  1 ;  xi.  1).  The  Medes  were  now  the 
subjects  of  Cyrus,  who  had  dethroned  their  last  king,  Astyages,  and 
become  ruler  of  the  Medo-Persian  Empire  20  years  before  (is.c. 
559  or  558).  But  that  empire  was  still,  and  remained  ever  after, 
Medo-Persian,  and  not  simply  Persian — governed  according  to  "the 
law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  which  altereth  not"  (Dan.  vi.  8,  12, 
15).  In  it  the  highest  places  of  honor  and  trust  were  given  to 
Medes  as  well  as  Persians  ;  and  thus  "  Darius  the  Mcde,"  who  was 
probably  of  royal  birth,  was  established  as  viceroy  at  Babylon,  with 
the  full  powers  of  a  king.  The  Jews,  who  were  under  his  immedi- 
ate government,  date  his  two  years'  rule  as  distinct  from  that  of  Cir- 
rus ;  and  they  mark  the  beginning  of  Cyrus's  personal  rule  at  Bab- 
ylon, which  was  also  the  epoch  of  their  own  restoration,  as  "  the 
first  year  of  Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,"  B.C.  536  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  22  ; 
Ezra'i.  1). 

That  year  completed  the  Seventy  Years  of  the  Captivity,  so  clear- 
ly prophesied  by  Jeremiah  (xxv.  12;  xxix.  10),  and  understood  by 
Daniel  (ix.  2),  reckoning  from  the  First  Captivity  in  B.C.  605  (see 
above,  pp.  206,  7).  The  prophet,  who  had  then  been  carried  to  Je- 
rusalem in  the  flower  of  his  youth,  survived  to  welcome,  and  proba- 
bly to  counsel,  the  great  act  for  which  he  had  waited  and  struggled 
in  prayer  and  humiliation  (Dan.  i.  21  ;  ix.);  and  he  died,  either  in 
that  year  or  shortly  after,  with  feelings  like  those  of  Simeon,  and 
with  an  assurance  revealed  to  no  other  mortal  man — "  Go  thou  thy 
way  till  the  end ;  for  thou  shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the 
end  of  the  days"  (Dan.  xii.  13).  We  turn  from  his  happy  end  to 
the  new  course  of  trial  and  sin,  renewed  vigor  and  final  rejection, 
but  with  the  promise  of  an  ultimate  restoration,  on  which  his  sur< 
viving  brethren  now  entered. 


Tomb  of  Cyrus  at  Marg-Aub,  the  ancient  Pasargada?. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  RESTORED  JEWISII  NATION  AND  CHURCH. 

FROM  THE    DECREE    OF    CYRUS    TO    THE    CLOSE    OF    THE    OLD    TESTA- 
MENT canon. — b.c.  530-400? 

The  remaining  records  of  the  Old  Testament  give  fin  account  of 
the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  and  the  re-establishment  of  the  worship 
of  God  at  Jerusalem — not  a  complete  history  of  the  restored  state  to 
the  time  of  our  Saviour's  coming.  "When  the  new  commonwealth 
and  worship  have  been  set  in  order,  and  when,  alas!  new  symptoms 
of  declension  have  broken  out,  the  voice  of  Malachi  closes  the  Old 
Testament  with  the  very  notes  of  mingled  rebuke,  warning,  and 
promise,  which  arc  re-echoed  by  John  the  Baptist  at  the  opening  of 
the  New.  For  the  purpose  for  which  the  Bible  is  given  us,  there  is 
no  real  break  in  this  interval  of  400  years. 

The  proclamation  of  Cyrus  opens  with  an  acknowledgment, 
which  breathes  the  spirit  of  his  own  religion,  enlightened  by  the 
teaching  of  Daniel,  and  probably  by  the  predictions  of  the  prophets, 
which  he  had  just  fulfilled.      Doubtlessly  recognizing  in  the  one  God 


B.C.  536- 400.  DECREE  OF  CYRUS.  215 

of  the  Jews  the  spiritual  deity  whom  he,  as  a  devout  Zoroastrian, 
worshipped  by  the  name  of  Ahuramazda  (Ormazd),  he  declared, 
"The  Lord  God  of  heaven  hath  given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
eartli ;  and  he  hath  charged  me  to  build  him  a  house  in  Jerusalem, 
which  is  in  Judah.  Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people? 
The  Lord  his  God  be  with  him,  and  let  him  go  up"  (2  Chron. 
.xxxvi.  23;  Ezra  i.  1-3).  He  charged  those  among  whom  they 
dwelt  to  help  them  with  gold  and  .silver,  goods  and  cattle,  besides 
free-will  offerings  for  the  house  of  God ;  and  he  restored  the  5400 
vessels  of  the  temple,  which  Nebuchadnezzar  bad  carried  away,  to 
Sheshbazzar,  or  Zerubbabel,  the  prince  of  Judah,  who  was  the 
leader  of  the  migration  (Ezra  i.).  This  Zerubbabel  was  the  son  of 
that  Salathiel  who  was  reckoned  in  the  genealogies  as  the  son  of 
Jehoiacbin  (see  above,  p.  212).  He  was  an  ancestor,  and  he  appears 
in  the  prophecy  of  Zecbariah  as  a  type,  of  Christ  (Zech.  iv.).  Ze- 
rubbabel was  also  appointed  Tirshatha,  or  Governor  of  Judrea  (Ezra 
ii.  03),  and  with  him  were  associated  the  high-priest  and  nine  of  the 
chief  elders  (Ezra  ii.  2).  The  high-priest  Jesiiua  (~Joshua= Jesus) 
bore  the  name  at  once  of  the  captain  who  at  first  led  Israel  into  the 
Holy  Land,  and  of  the  Messiah,  whose  type  he  also  is  made  in  the 
prophecies  of  Zecbariah  (Zeeh.  Hi.,  vi.). 

The  response  to  the  king's  invitation  was  the  easier  as  the  cap- 
tive Jews  had  preserved  their  genealogies,  and  their  patriarchal  con- 
stitution under  their  princes.  So  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  Ju- 
dah and  Benjamin,  with  the  priests  and  Levit.es,  whose  families 
are  enumerated  by  Ezra,  rose  up  to  the  work.  This  First  Caravan 
numbered  42,300,  besides  7367  men-servants  and  maid-servants. 
They  had  736  horses,  245  mules,  435  camels,  and  6720  asses  (Ezra 
ii.).  With  them  were  doubtless  many  of  the  Ten  Tribes ;  for  the  in- 
vitation was  to  all  the  servants  of  God  throughout  the  empire,  and  it 
was  responded  to  by  "all  whose  spirit  God  had  raised  "  (Ezra  i.  5). 
In  fact,  though  the  nation  is  henceforth  called  Jews  (Judcei,  from  Ju- 
dah), the  distinction  of  the  tribes  disappears,  except  in  their  pedi- 
grees (see,  for  example,  Luke  ii.  30).  Those,  however,  who  under- 
took the  journey  formed  doubtless  a  minority  of  the  captives,  who, 
as  directed  by  Jeremiah,  had  built  houses  and  planted  vineyards. 
Rome  followed  at  a  later  period  ;  the  rest  formed  what  was  called 
the  "Dispersion;"  and  how  numerous  these  were  in  all  the  prov- 
inces of  the  empire,  we  see  in  the  Book  of  Esther. 

We  have  no  particulars  of  the  long  journey  up  the  Euphrates  and 
across  the  Desert ;  but  the  84th  Psalm  tells  how  the  hardships  of  the 
way  were  triumphed  over  by  their  pious  zeal  to  behold  the  house 
of  God.  They  returned  to  their  several  cities;  but  in  the  sacred 
7th  month  (Tisri  =  Sept.-Oct.)  they  assembled  at  Jerusalem,  to  re- 


216  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVIII. 

build  the  altar  and  offer  their  first  sacrifices  at  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles.1 With  the  money  they  had  brought  they  hired  masons  and 
carpenters,  and  provided  food  for  the  Tyrians  and  Sidonians,  who 
had  been  commanded  by  Cyrus  to  bring  cedar-trees  from  Lebanon 
by  sea  to  Joppa,  as  Hiram  had  done  for  Solomon.  In  the  2d  month 
of  the  following  year  (Jyar=April-May,  b.c.  535),  the  very  season 
at  which  Moses  set  up  the  Tabernacle,  the  foundation  of  the  temple 
was  laid  with  great  solemnities,  amidst  the  sound  of  trumpets  and 
the  chorus  of  the  sons  of  Asaph,  "praising  and  giving  thanks  unto 
Jehovah,  because  He  is  good,  for  His  mercy  endureth  forever  to- 
wards Israel."  But  the  shouts  of  the  people  were  mingled  with  the 
weeping  of  the  priests  and  elders  who  had  seen  the  glory  of  the  first 
house,  so  that  the  cries  of  joy  could  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
those  of  sorrow2  (Ezra  iii.  ;  for  the  dimensions,  see  Ezra  vi.  3,  4). 
Inferior  as  this  temple  was  to  Solomon's  in  outward  splendor,  and 
wanting  the  ark,  the  Urim  and  Thummim  (see  Neh.  vii.  65),  and 
the  visible  sign  of  Jehovah's  presence  in  the  Shekinah,  it  became 
the  centre  of  a  more  spiritual  worship.  While  the  great  festivals, 
like  the  other  Mosaic  institutions,  were  for  the  first  time  punctually 
observed,  the  experience  of  the  Captivity,  and  the  examples  of  such 
men  as  Daniel,  had  taught  the  people  that  God  might  be  worship- 
ped, not  at  Jerusalem  only ;  and  their  local  meetings  in  the  Syna- 
GOGDES,  which  some  suppose  to  have  begun  during  the  Captivity, 
became  a  regular  institution.  The  Scriptures,  collected  into  a 
"  Canon  "  soon  after  the  return,  superseded  the  prophetic  office : 
their  regular  reading  in  the  synagogues  prevented  that  ignorance 
which  had  been  so  fatal  under  the  monarchy;  and  the  "Scribes," 
who  devoted  themselves  to  their  exposition,  shared  the  respect  paid 
to  the  priests  and  Levitcs.  Prayer,  private  as  well  as  public,  re- 
gained that  supreme  place  in  God's  worship  which  had  been  usurped 
by  rites  and  ceremonies.  The  Sabbath,  which  the  prophets  never 
cease  to  represent  as  the  key-stone  both  of  religion  and  of  the  char- 
ities of  social  life,  was  firmly  established,  after  a  sharp  contest  with 
worldly  selfishness.  Idolatry  was  henceforth  unknown  ;  and  the  at- 
tempt of  the  Syrian  kings  to  impose  its  practice  adorned  the  Jewish 
Church  with  a  cloud  of  martyrs,  whose  constancy  confirms  the  many 
other  proofs  that  the  people  had  attained  to  a  more  spiritual  faith. 
Their  dependence  on  Persia  prevented  the  restoration  of  the  mon- 
archy, with  the  constant  rebellion  from  God  which  that  monarchy  it- 
self expressed.     The  people  seem  to  have  learned  to  wait  for  their 

1  Psalms  lxxxvii.,  cvii.,  exi.,  cxii.,  cxiii.,  cxiv.,  cxvi.,  cxvii.,  exxv.,  exxvii., 
exxviii.,  exxxiv.  seem  also  to  belong  to  this  period. 

-  Though  it  was  seventy  years  from  the  first  beginning  of  the  Captivity,  it 
was  only  fifty  since  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 


B.C.  530- 100.     BUILDING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  217 

true  King.  The  shades  of  this  fair  picture  were  as  yet  in  the  back- 
ground ;  and  the  current  of  the  history  brings  them  into  promi- 
nence soon  enough.  They  are  the  vices  which  our  corrupt  nature 
distills  from  these  very  virtues  ;  spiritual  pride,  oppression,  and  im- 
morality. 

The  "details  of  the  opposition  and  intrigue  amidst  which  the  tem- 
ple grew  up  must  he  left  for  future  study.  The  following  were  the 
kings  of  Persia  by  whom  the  work  was  either  encouraged  or  hin- 
dered : 

B.C. 

1.  Cyrus,  founder  of  the  Persian  empire 559 

Cyrus  begins  to  reign  at  Babylon Jan.   5,  53S 

2.  Camisyses,  his  sou Jan-    3,  529 

Ahaswrus:  Ezra  iv.  G. 

3.  Gomates,  a  Magian  usurper  (about  June  1),  who  personated 

Smerdis,  the  younger  sou  of  Cyrus  (reigns  seven  months)  522 

Artaxerx  es :  Ezra  iv.  7,  etc. 

4.  Darids,  the  son  of  Hystaspes— a  Persian  noble,  raised  to 

the  throne  on  the  overthrow  of  Gomates Jan.   1,  521 

Darius:  Ezra  iv.  5,  24  ;  v.,vi. 

5.  Xerxes,  his  son Dec.  23, 486 

Ahasuerus:  Esther. 

6.  Artaxerxrs  Longimancs,  his  son Dec.    7,  4G5 

Artaxerxea:  Ezra  vii.,  Nehemiah End  of  his  reign,  Dec.  17,  423 

The  first  "adversaries"  were  the  half-heathen  settlers  of  Samaria 
(see  p.  199),  whose  claim  to  join  in  building  the  temple  was  indig- 
nantly rejected  by  the  Jews.  They  impeded  them  by  bribing  the 
counsellors  of  Cyrus,  made  a  formal  accusation  against  them  to 
Cambyses,  and  obtained  from  the  usurper  Gomates  an  order  for  the 
suspension  of  the  work,  is.c.  522  (Ezra  iv.).  It  was  resumed  in  the 
2d  year  of  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes  (h.c.  520),  under  the  en- 
couragements and  rebukes  of  the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zechariah  ; 
anil  the  discovery  of  the  edict  of  Cyrus  among  the  archives  at  Ec- 
batana  (Achmetha)  caused  Darius  to  issue  a  decree  that  the  officers 
who  had  opposed  should  aid  the  work.  So  the  house  was  finished 
on  the  3d  day  of  the  twelfth  month  (Adar=Feb. -March),  in  the  6th 
year  of  Darius,  21  years  after  its  commencement ;  and  a  joyful  feast 
of  dedication  was  followed  by  the  Passover  (b.c.  516).  It  is  espe- 
cially to  be  noticed  that  the  sin-offering  was  "for  all  Israel,  twelve 
he-goats,  according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,"  and  that 
the  Passover  was  killed  "  for  all  the  children  of  the  Captivity  "  (Ezra 
vi.  :  comp.  Psalms  xlviii.,  Ixxxi.,  and  cxlvi.-cl.). 

The  reign  of  Xerxes  carries  us  back  to  the  Jews  who  were  left 
behind,  and  to  the  events  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Esther.  The 
charming  story  of  the  elevation  of  Esther  and  Mordecai  ;  the  con* 


218  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVIII. 

suming  jealousy  which  prompted  Haman  to  plot  a  massacre  of  the 
Jews  throughout  all  the  provinces,  including,  of  course,  those  re- 
stored to  Judah  ;  the  self-devotion  with  which  Esther  ventured  into 
the  king's  presence,  and  obtained  grace  for  her  brethren  and  her- 
self; the  execution  of  Haman  on  the  gallows  he  had  raised  for 
Mordecai ;  and  the  slaughter  which  the  Jews,  armed  with  the  king's 
second  decree,  inflicted  on  their  assailants :  all  this  is  not  only  a 
picture  of  their  state  under  the  Persian  kings,  but  of  the  marvellous 
vitality  of  the  race  in  all  times  of  their  dispersion.  These  events 
are  celebrated  to  this  day  by  the  Feast  of  Purim,  that  is,  of  "  Lots," 
so  called  from  the  lots  cast  by  Haman  when  planning  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Jew's  (Esther  iii.  7  ;  ix.  2). 

These  events  at  court,  and  the  elevation  of  Mordecai  to  the  post 
of  prime-minister,  must  have  had  a  favorable  influence  on  behalf  of 
the  restored  people  ;  but  we  have  no  further  details  of  their  history 
till  Ezra  appears  upon  the  scene,  in  the  7th  year  of  Artaxerxes  I. 
Longimanus  (b.c.  458).  He  was  a  priest,  descended  from  Hilkiah, 
the  high-priest  under  Josiah,  and  was  "a  ready  scribe  in  the  law 
of  Moses  "  at  Babylon.  He  obtained  a  commission  from  Artaxerxes 
to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  leading  a  Second  Caravan  of  6000  persons, 
with  aid  like  that  granted  by  Cyrus  to  the  first  caravan.  Setting 
out  from  Babylon  on  the  1st  day  of  the  1st  month  (about  the  end 
of  March),  and,  declining  a  guard  from  the  king,  they  arrived  safe 
at  Jerusalem  on  the  1st  day  of  the  5th  month  (end  of  July),  B.C. 
458.  With  Ezra's  success  in  reforming  the  evil  of  intermarriage 
with  the  surrounding  idolaters,  his  book  comes  to  an  abrupt  end  at 
March,  b.c.  457  (Ezra  vii.-x.). 

The  "Book  of  Nehemiah,"  which  is  really  a  continuation  of 
"Ezra,"  opens  twelve  years  later,  with  the  bad  news  of  the  state 
of  things  at  Jerusalem,  which  came  to  the  winter  palace  at  Susa  in 
the  20th  year  of  Artaxerxes  (b.c.  445).  From  what  cause  we  are 
not  told,  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  was  broken  down,  and  the  gates 
burnt  with  fire  (Neh.  i.  1-3).  Nehemiah,  the  king's  cup-bearer, 
after  fasting  and  prayer,  obtained  a  new  commission  from  Arta- 
xerxes, four  months  later  (April,  b.c.  444).  Beset  by  the  attacks 
of  Sanballat  the  Horonite,  and  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  in  league 
with  the  Arabians  and  Philistines,  he  called  the  people  to  work 
with  speed  and  courage.  Half  were  always  under  arms,  while  half 
labored  at  the  walls,  girded  with  their  swords  (Neh.  ii.-iv.)  In 
vain  did  the  foes  seek  to  entrap  him  on  the  pretext  of  a  conference : 
he  only  replied,  "I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  can  not  come 
down."  When  Sanballat  sent  an  open  letter,  threatening  to  report 
to  Artaxerxes  that  Nehemiah  was  preparing  to  make  himself  king, 
he  answered,  "  There  are  no  such  things  done  as  thou  sayest,  but 


B.C.  53G-400.         EZRA  AND  NEHEMIAH.  21U 

thou  feignest  tliem  out  of  thine  own  heart."  Then  a  false  prophet 
within  the  city  urged  Nehemiah  to  take  sanctuary  in  the  temple 
from  a  pretended  plot  against  his  life:  "And  I  said,  should  such  a 
man  as  I  flee  ?"  With  such  determination,  the  walls  took  only  fifty- 
two  days  in  building,  and  they  were  finished,  and  the  gates  hung, 
on  the  25th  of  Elul,  the  last  month  of  the  civil  year,  Sept.,  b.c.  444 
(Neh.  vi.).  By  the  same  time  Nehemiah  had  completed  the  geneal- 
ogies (Neh.  vii.),  and  done  what  he  could  to  reform  those  gross  op- 
pressions of  the  poor  of  which  the  later  prophets  constantly  com- 
plain (Neh.  v.).  Amidst  all  these  works  he  had  to  watch  the  in- 
trigues of  a  party  among  the  nobles,  who  were  connected  by  mar- 
riage with  Tobiah  and  his  son  Johanan  (Neh.  vi.  17-19). 

The  festive  month  of  Tisri,  the  first  of  the  civil  new  year  (Sept.- 
Oct.,  b.c.  444),  was  celebrated  as  an  inauguration  of  the  people  into 
their  new  life.  They  now  met  together  as  a  church,  the  whole  con- 
gregation numbering  42,3G0,  besides  7337  men-servants  and  maid- 
servants. Ezra  the  Scribe  now  reappears,  in  his  distinctive  char- 
acter as  the  great  teacher  of  the  Scriptures,  which  he  read  from  a 
pulpit  ("a  tower  of  wood").  Six  Scribes  or  Levites  on  his  right 
hand,  and  seven  on  his  left,  supported  him  in  a  manner  which  wo. 
commend  to  the  imitation  of  ail  readers — "  They  read  in  the  Book, 
in  the  Law  of  God,  distinctly."  But  more  than  this — "  They  gave 
the  sense,  andcaused  them  to  understand  the  reading."  These  words 
doubtless  refer  to  a  translation  of  what  Ezra  read  in  Hebrew  into  the 
mixed  "  Chaldee"  (or,  more  properly,  Aramaic)  dialect,  which  had 
become  the  vernacular  tongue  of  the  Jews  during  the  Captivity. 
Parts  of  "Jeremiah,"  "Daniel,"  and  "Ezra"  are  in  this  dialect; 
and  the  practice  of  thus  interpreting  the  Scriptures  was  afterwards 
extended  in  the  Paraphrases  called  the  "  Chaldee  Targums." 

There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  Book  thus  read  by  Ezra 
was  not  merely  what  Moses  calls  the  Law  (in  Greek  the  Pentateuch), 
but  the  Scriptures  of  what  we  call  the  Old  Testament,  which  it  is 
generally  agreed  that  Ezra  himself  collected  into  one  book.  The 
more  proper  title  of  that  book,  the  Old  Covenant,  describes  the 
light  in  which  it  was  now  set  before  the  people.  The  position  of 
Ezra  at  the  end  of  the  old  dispensation  resembles,  in  this  respect, 
that  of  Moses  at  its  beginning.  Each  read  to  the  people  the  Scrip- 
cures,  as  they  existed  in  the  time  of  each,  as  containing  the  Cove 
vant  by  which  Jehovah  condescended  to  bind  himself  to  his  peo- 
ple and  by  which  they  bound  themselves  to  him.  On  the  occasion 
of  his  collecting  the  Scriptures,  Ezra  is  believed  to  have  composed 
that  wonderful  eulogy  of  the  Law  of  God,  arranged  in  sections  nn- 
\ler  the  letters  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet  as  their  initials — the  119th 
Psalm.     The  Canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was  not,  however,  final- 


220  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XVIII. 

ly  closed  by  Ezra,  even  if  he  lived  to  add  the  Book  of  Malachi.  To 
the  time  when  it  was  finally  closed  we  have  some  guide  in  the  names 
of  the  high-priests  down  to  Jaddua,  who  was  contemporary  with 
Alexander  the  Great  (Xeh.  xii.  11,  22,  23). 

During  the  days  of  this  service,  the  people  set  up  booths  of  olive 
and  pine  and  myrtle  and  thick  trees,  and  kept  the  Eeast  of  Taberna- 
cles as  it  had  not  been  kept  since  the  time  of  Joshua  (Neh.  viii.). 
Finally,  in  place  of  the  Day  of  Atonement,  which  had  passed  over, 
they  prepared — with  feelings  like  those  produced  by  the  reading  of 
the  Law  under  Josiah — to  keep  a  special  fast  on  the  24th  of  Tisri. 
The  impressive  solemnities  which  are  recorded  by  Nehemiah  were 
concluded  by  making  a  new  covenant  with  God,  which  was  put  in 
writing,  and  signed  and  sealed  by  the  princes,  priests,  and  Levites, 
before  the  sun  went  down  (Neh.  ix.,  x.). 

Before  they  departed  for  their  homes,  arrangements  were  made 
for  the  peopling  of  Jerusalem.  So  much  did  all  prefer  their  pater- 
nal homes  to  the  greater  safety  behind  its  walls,  that  "the  people 
blessed  all  the  men  that  willingly  offered  themselves  to  dwell  at 
Jerusalem."  The  rulers  took  up  their  abode  in  the  capital ;  and 
of  the  rest  every  tenth  man  was  chosen  by  lot  to  live  there.  The 
priests  and  Levites  were  divided  in  due  proportions  between  the  city 
and  the  country.  The  joyous  Dedication  of  the  walls,  which  is  still 
a  Jewish  feast,  with  the  further  provision  for  the  temple  service,  and 
the  exclusion  of  the  Ammonite  and  Moabite  from  the  congregation, 
according  to  the  sentence  of  Moses,  complete  the  records  of  Nehe- 
miah's  first  government,  the  prescribed  term  of  which  was  twelve 
years  (Neh.  xi.,  xii.,  xiii.  1-3  :  comp.  v.  14).  He  returned  to  the 
Persian  court  in  the  32d  year  of  Artaxerxes,  b.c.  433  (xiii.  6). 

After  an  uncertain  interval,  he  obtained  the  king's  permission  to 
visit  Jerusalem  again,  to  reform  abuses  for  which  his  absence  had 
given  scope.  The  weakness  of  Eliashib,  the  high-priest,  had  given 
the  old  "  adversaries  "  a  footing  in  the  temple  and  city.  His  grand- 
son had  married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat ;  and  Tobiah  was  not 
only  admitted  to  the  temple,  but  allowed  to  use  its  chambers  as 
storehouses.  Nehemiah  turned  out  his  stuff,  and  purified  the  cham- 
bers. Other  abuses  had  sprung  up  again  from  the  rapacity  of  the 
nobles.  The  Levites,  defrauded  of  their  tithes,  had  betaken  them- 
selves to  the  Levitical  cities,  so  that  the  temple  was  deserted.  Ne- 
hemiah gathered  them  together  again,  compelled  the  rulers  to  do 
them  justice,  and  the  people  to  bring  the  tithes.  He  most  indig- 
nantly reproved  the  nobles  for  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath  for 
gain,  as  the  sin  which  had  brought  the  wrath  of  God  upon  their  fa- 
thers. In  the  cities  of  Judah  wine-presses  were  trodden  on  the 
holy  day,  and  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  were  crowded  with  Syrian 


B.C.  536-400.    NEHEMIAH'S  SECOND  MISSION.  221 

and  other  merchants,  who  carried  in  the  supplies  of  luxury  for  a 
great  city.  Nehemiah  had  the  city  gates  shut  from  dusk  till  the  end 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  guarded  by  his  servants.  His  last  reform  dealt 
with  the  old  evil  of  mixed  marriages,  which  had  been  carried  to 
such  an  extent  that  children  were  heard  talking  in  a  dialect  half 
Jewish  and  half  in  the  language  of  Ashdod.  He  here  records  a 
tou.;h  of  that  vehemence  of  temper  which  has  marked  many  a  re-| 
former:  "and  I  contended  with  them"  (the  parents,  not  the  chil- 
dren), "and  reviled  them,  and  smote  certain  of  them,  and  plucked 
off  their  hair."  Thus  he  forced  them  to  take  an  oath  to  make  no 
more  such  marriages  for  their  children.  He  deposed  the  hijrh- 
priest's  grandson  for  his  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Sanballat 
(Neh.  xiii.). 

It  remains  to  say  a  few  words  of  the  prophet  whose  book  ends 
the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Covenant,  and  who  is  thence  called  by  the 
Jews  "  the  seal  of  the  prophets."  Malachi  (contracted  from  Ma- 
lachijah,  i.  e.,  the  Angel  or  messenger  of  Jehovah)  closes  the  Canon 
of  the  Jewish  Scriptures  with  words  rendered  doubly  impressive  by 
our  entire  ignorance  of  his  personal  history.  Like  the  first  prophet 
of  the  New  Covenant,  whose  preaching  is  an  echo  of  his  warnings, 
he  is  simply  "  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness"  and  preach- 
ing repentance  from  flagrant  sin  as  the  one  indispensable  prelimina- 
ry to  the  reception  of  the  expected  Messiah.  In  this  view  his  proph- 
ecy links  the  Old  Covenant  with  the  New  ;  and  the  connection  is 
made  closer  by  his  prediction  of  the  coming  of  John  the  Baptist  as 
the  Elijah  of  the  new  dispensation,  and  the  forerunner  of  the  An- 
gel Jehovah,  the  messenger  of  the  Covenant.  We  have  but  to 
read  the  prophet's  denunciation  of  rulers,  priests,  and  people,  to  see 
that  he  is  describing  present  evils,  and  not  merely  predicting  some 
future  declension.  These  descriptions  serve  to  fix  the  date  of  the 
prophecy.  They  agree  so  exactly  with  the  state  of  things  which 
Nehemiah  found  on  the  occasion  of  his  last  visit  to  Jerusalem  that 
the  prophecy  may  be  safely  referred  either  to  that  period  or  to  a 
second  declension,  which  soon  followed  the  reforms  of  Nehemiah. 
The  latter  is  the  more  probable,  as  Nehemiah  does  not  mention  the 
prophet.  .In  any  case,  the  date  of  Malachi  falls  before  the  end  of 
this  century  (b.c.  400);  and  it  is  not  at  all  impossible  that  Ezra, 
if  he  was  really  the  author  of  the  Scripture  Canon,  may  have  lived 
long  enough  to  include  in  it  the  Book  of  Malachi  as  well  as  that  of 
Nehemiah. 


\  iew   of  the  Lake  of  Antioch. 


PART    II. 

CONNECTION  OF  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS. 

FROM  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  CANON  TO  THE 
DEATH  OF  HEROD  THE  GREAT.— B.C.  400  TO  B.C.  4. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
RECOVERY  OF  JEWISH  INDEPENDENCE. 

FROM    THE    CLOSE    OF    THE    OLD    TESTAMENT    HISTORY    TO    THE 
DEATH    OF    JOHN    HYRCANUS. — B.C.  400-106. 

The  interval  of  four  centuries,  from  the  close  of  the  records  of 
the  Old  Covenant  to  the  events  which  heralded  the  birth  of  Jesus 
Christ,  may  be  divided  into  four  periods  :  the  continuance  of  the 
Persian  dominion,  till  n.c.  331  ;   the  Greek  Empire  in  Asia,  B.C. 


B.C.400-10G.  RECOVERY  OF  INDEPENDENCE.      223 

331-167  ;  the  independence  of  Judcea  under  the  Asmonrean  princes, 
B.C.  167-63 ;  and  the  rule  of  the  house  of  Herod,  commencing  in 
B.C.  40,  and  extending  beyond  the  Christian  era  to  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  in  a.d.  70.  The  last  two  periods  also  include  the  re- 
lations of Judrca  to  Rome.  There  is  little  that  possesses  any  great 
intrinsic  interest,  except  the  struggle  of  the  Maccahees  for  religion 
and  liberty  against  Antiochus  Epiphanes  ;  but  the  whole  period  de- 
mands our  notice  as  a  preparation  for  understanding  the  state  in 
which  we  find  the  Jews  at  the  opening  of  the  New  Testament,  their 
moral  and  political  condition,  their  views  and  opinions,  their  sects 
and  parties. 

The  first  two  of  these  periods— a  space  just  equal  to  that  from  the 
death  of  Elizabeth  to  the  accession  of  Victoria — form  almost  a  blank 
in  the  history  of  the  Jews.  They  seem  to  have  been  content  to  de- 
velop their  internal  resources  and  their  religious  institutions  under 
the  mild  government  of  Persia.  We  can  not  decide  how  far  the 
princes  of  Judali  retained  any  remnant  of  their  patriarchal  authori- 
ty ;  but  from  the  time  of  Nehemiah  the  high-i'RIest  became  the 
most  important  person  in  the  state ;  and  the  internal  government 
grew  more  and  more  of  a  hierarchy.  Tradition  says  that  there  was, 
from  the  epoch  of  the  return,  a  Council  of  120  members,  called  the 
"Great  Synagogue,"  of  which  Ezra  was  the  first  president  (comp. 
Neli.  viii.  13).  The  high-priests  from  the  time  of  Nehemiah  to  the 
end  of  the  empire  under  Darius  Codomannus  were  Eliashib,  Joiadn, 
Jonathan  (or  Johanan),  and  Jaddua. 

In  this  period  only  two  events  need  be  recorded.  The  murder 
of  Joshua  (Jesus)  in  the  temple  by  his  brother,  the  high-priest  Jona- 
than (about  n.c.  367),  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  like  crimes,  which 
brought  the  state  to  anarchy.  To  the  time  of  the  Persian  rule  be- 
longs also  the  building  of  the  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim  for  the 
schismatic  worship  of  the  Samaritans  ;  but  the  exact  time  and  cir- 
cumstances of  its  erection  are  doubtful.  It  was  to  this  sanctuary, 
as  well  as  to  the  ancient  sacrifices  of  the  patriarchs  at  Shechem,  that 
the  Samaritan  woman  referred  in  the  words — "Our  fathers  wor- 
shipped in  this  mountain"  (John  iv.  20).  This  act  of  schism  brought 
the  hostility  of  the  Jews  and  Samaritans  to  a  climax;  and  Samarir 
was  henceforth  more  separated  from  Judtea  than  even  "  Galilee  of 
the  Gentiles,"  where  some  scattered  remnants  of  the  Ten  Tribes 
preserved  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  and  came  up  to  worship  at 
the  new  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

Jaddua  is  the  last  high-priest  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament 
(Neh.  xii.  11,  22).  During  his  pontificate,  the  Persian  Empire  was 
overthrown  by  "the  great  Emathian  conqueror;"  and  the  Jewish 
historian  Josophits  tells  a  romantic  but  improbable  story  of  an  in- 


224  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIX. 

tervicw  between  Alexander  and  Jaddna  at  Jerusalem.  At  al] 
events,  Alexander  seems  to  have  granted  the  Jews  special  privi- 
leges, wliile  lie  severely  chastised  a  rebellion  of  the  [Samaritans. 
He  removed  a  large  number  of  Jews  to  his  new  city  of  Alexandria, 
in  Egypt.  The  Macedonian  conquest  brought  Judaea,  with  the  rest 
of  the  Eastern  world,  under  the  influence  of  the  Greek  language  and 
Greek  ideas ;  and  the  contest  of  the  old  religious  patriotism  with 
these  influences  formed  for  a  long  time  her  chief  history.  At  first 
the  contest  was  maintained  under  favorable  circumstances. 

Just  as  the  Macedonian  conquest  was  completed,  Jaddua  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  Omas  I.  (b.c.  330-309  or  300).  In  the  wars 
of  succession,  which  ensued  on  the  death  of  Alexander  (b.c.  323), 
Palestine  was  claimed  as  a  part  of  Syria.  But  in  b.c.  320,  Ptole- 
my, the  son  of  Lagus,  the  governor  of  Egypt,  took  Jerusalem  on  a 
Sabbath,  when  the  Jews  would  make  no  resistance ;  and,  after  the 
decisive  battle  of  Ipsus,  it  was  made  a  part  of  his  kingdom  of  Egypt 
(b.c.  301).  There,  by  the  title  of  Ptolemy  I.  Soter,  he  founded 
the  Dynasty  of  the  Ptolemies,  which  lasted  till  the  death  of  Cleopa- 
tra in  b.c.  30.  Under  him  the  Jewish  population  in  Africa,  al- 
ready considerable,  was  strengthened  by  the  removal  of  many  Jews 
and  Samaritans  to  Egypt  and  Cyrene.  Beneath  the  mild  govern- 
ment of  the  first  five  Ptolemies,  Judara  enjoyed  a  century  of  high 
prosperity  (b.c.  300-198).  To  this  period"  belongs  the  splendid 
high-priesthood  of  Simon  I.  the  Jest  (b.c.  300-292),  whose  praise 
is  celebrated  by  Jesus,  the  son  of  Sirach  (Ecclesiasticus  1.).  The 
long  and  tranquil  rule  of  his  brother  Eleazar  (b.c.  292-251)  was 
nearly  contemporary  with  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  II.  Philadelphia 
(b.c.  285-247),  who  caused  the  Jewish  Scriptures  to  be  translated 
into  the  Greek  version  called  the  Septeagint,  from  its  70  (or  72) 
translators.     This  formed  a  new  link  between  Jews  and  Greeks. 

Shortly  after  this,  the  old  rivalry  between  Western  Asia  and 
Egypt  was  revived  by  their  Greek  kings,  the  Seleucidse  of  Syria  and 
the  Ptolemies,  whose  long  wars  for  the  possession  of  Phoenicia, 
Code-Syria,  and  Palestine,  had  been  prophesied  by  Daniel  (xi., 
xii.).  The  Syrian  kingdom  reached  its  climax  under  Antiochus 
III.  the  Great;  and  he  was  marching  to  invade  Egypt,  when  he 
suffered  a  great  defeat  from  Ptolemy  IV.  Philopator,  at  Raphia, 
near  Gaza,  the  very  battle-field  where  Sargon  had  routed  the  forces 
of  Egypt  and  Ethiopia  five  centuries  before  (b.c.  718).  From  the 
field  of  his  victory  Ptolemy  went  to  Jerusalem,  and  dared  to  enter 
the  Holy  of  Holies,  whence  he  is  said  to  have  been  driven  out  by 
ft  supernatural  terror.  He  avenged  his  repulse  by  a  persecution 
of  the  Jews  at  Alexandria,  which  alienated  the  whole  nation  from 
Egypt,  and  prepared  them  to  see  a  deliverer  in  the  rival  king. 


B.C.  400-10G.  EGYPT  AND  SYRIA.  225 

Within  another  twenty  years  the  change  of  masters  came.  The 
infancy  of  Ptolemy  V.  Epiphanes  gave  Antiochus  the  opportunity 
of  recovering  Coele-Syna  and  Palestine  (b.c.  108),  which  were  for- 
mally added  to  his  dominions  by  his  treaty  with  Rome  (b.c.  188). 
From  this  time  the  Greek  party  among  the  Jews  grew  stronger  and 
stronger,  headed  by  Joshua,  the  brother  of  the  high-priest  Onias 
III.,  who  assumed  the  Greek  name  of  Jason.  On  the  arrival  of 
Antiochus  IV.  Epiphanes1  from  Rome,  to  take  possession  of  his 
kingdom,  he  was  met  at  Antioch  by  Onias  and  Jason  (b.c.  175). 
The  latter  obtained  his  brother's  deposition  and  his  own  appoint- 
ment as  high-priest;  and  forthwith  began  the  open  introduction  of 
Greek  customs  at  Jerusalem,  and  among  them  the  exercises  of  the 
palaestra.  Three  years  later  Jason  was  supplanted  by  Menelaus 
(b.c.  172),  who,  while  exasperating  the  Jews  by  new  sacrileges,  led 
the  king  to  believe  them  rebels. 

Just  at  this  time  Antiochus  made  a  fresh  attack  on  the  young 
king  Ptolemy  VI.  Philometor.  Dining  his  second  campaign  in 
Egypt  (b.c.  170)  a  report  was  spread  of  his  death ;  and  Jason,  at- 
tacking Jerusalem  at  the  head  of  1000  Ammonites,  drove  out  Men- 
elaus. Fleeing  to  Antiochus,  in  Egypt,  Menelaus  represented  Je- 
rusalem as  in  open  revolt.  The  king  returned  in  fury,  stormed 
and  sacked  the  city,  profaned,  polluted,  and  pillaged  the  temple. 
Two  years  later  he  came  again  to  Jerusalem,  still  more  infuriated 
by  his  foixed  withdrawal  from  Egypt  at  the  order  of  the  Romans 
(b.c.  1G8).  But  this  time  he  assumed  the  show  of  friendship  till 
the  Sabbath  came,  and  a  frightful  massacre  was  made  of  the  unre- 
sisting people.  Then  followed  one  of  the  severest  persecutions  re- 
corded in  the  history  of  religion,  under  the  specious  authority  of  an 
edict  for  uniformity  of  worship  throughout  the  king's  dominions; 
for  Antiochus  was  a  fanatical  supporter  of  the  Greek  religion. 
The  details  are  to  be  read  in  the  two  "Books  of  Maccabees," 
which  alone  among  the  historical  books  of  the  Apocrypha  possess 
real  value.  The  favorite  test  of  conformity  was  the  eating  of 
swine's  flesh  ;  and  the  heroic  endurance  of  the  venerable  Elkazak, 
and  of  the  widow  and  her  seven  sons,  who  "  had  trial  of  cruel 
mockings  and  scourgings,"  makes  this  one  of  the  brightest  pages  in 
the  annals  of  Jewish  or  Christian  martyrology  (2  Mace,  vi.,  vii. ; 
cemp.  Heb.  xi.  35,  3G,  the  writer  of  which  evidently  had  these  mar- 
tyrs  in  his  mind). 

This  "fiery  trial"  served  to  purify  the  nation  from  the  taint  of 
Hellenism,  a  corruption,  of  which,  as  of  the  more  ancient  idolatries, 
the  nobles  were  the  leaders.     Excepting  a  few  striking  cases  of 

1  The  conduct  of  Antiochus  caused  this  epithet,  which  siguifies  "Illustri- 
ous," to  be  commonly  changed  iuto  the  nickname  of  Epimanes,  "the  Mad." 

P 


226  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIX. 

apostasy,  the  priests  were  steadfast ;  and  once  more,  as  before  Sinai, 
the  house  of  Levi  came  to  the  rescue,  and  not  only  quelled  idola- 
try and  persecution,  but  established  the  independence  of  Judcea 
under  the  Maccab^ean  or  Asmonjean  princes.2  An  aged  priest, 
named  Mattathias,  the  son  of  Simeon  (or  Simon),  son  of  Johan- 
an  (John),  son  of  Chasmon,  of  the  course  of  Joarib  (the  first  of 
David's  twenty-four  courses),  and  of  the  house  of  Eleazar,  Aaron's 
elder  son,  had  escaped  from  Jerusalem  at  the  beginning  of  the  per- 
secution. He  took  up  his  abode  at  his  own  city  of  Modin3  (proba- 
bly on  the  edge  of  the  great  maritime  plain  of  Philistia),  with  his 
five  sons,  John,  Simon,  Judas,  Eleazar,  and  Jonathan,  besides  oth- 
er kindred.  When  the  king's  officers  came  to  Modin  to  enforce  the 
edict,  Mattathias  slew  the  first  man  who  approached  the  heathen 
altar,  and  then  the  royal  commissioner  himself;  and,  inviting  all 
who  were  for  the  covenant  to  follow  him,  he  fled  with  bis  sons  to 
the  mountains.  Thence  they  issued  forth,  breaking  down  the  hea- 
then altars,  and  killing  many  idol-worshippers,  with  other  acts  of 
reformation.  But  Mattathias  soon  died,  having  with  his  last  breath 
handed  on  the  command  to  his  third  son,  Judas.4 

If  his  deeds  had  been  done  in  any  other  country  than  the  Holy 
Land,  or  in  any  other  than  God's  own  cause,  historians  would  have 
placed  Judas  Maccabeus  in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  heroes  and 
martyrs  of  patriotism  and  freedom.  Our  space  only  permits  a. 
notice  of  the  most  marked  features  of  his  glorious  career.  After 
two  victories,  he  was  called  to  meet  the  half  of  all  the  levy  of  Syria, 
which  Antiochus  intrusted  to  Lysias,  his  lieutenant  west  of  the  Eu- 
phrates, with  orders  to  extirpate  the  whole  Jewish  nation.  Against 
40,000  infantry  and  7000  cavalry,  Judas  could  only  collect  6000 
men  at  Mizpeh,  like  the  little  band  of  Saul  in  oldentimes.  And, 
like  Gideon,  he  weeded  this  small  number  to  one-half,  "  who  had 
neither  armor  nor  swords  to  their  minds,"  but  who  gained  two  vic- 
tories over  the  two  Syrian  generals,  and  took  their  camp.     Besides 

3  It  may  be  well  to  explain  these  names  at  once.  Maccabee  was  originally 
the  surname  of  Judas,  the  third  son  of  Mattathias.  Its  most  probable  ety- 
mology is  from  Maccabah,  a  hammer,  like  Charles  Martcl.  Asmoncean  (or 
rather  Chasmoncvan)  is  the  proper  name  of  the  family,  from  Chasmon,  the 
great-grandfather  of  Mattathias. 

8  Modin  appears  to  have  been  on  the  edge  of  the  highlands  overlooking 
the  great  maritime  plain  of  Philistia ;  so  lofty  and  so  near  the  coast  that 
the  details  of  the  splendid  tomb  which  Simon  erected  over  his  father  and 
brothers  were  visible  from  the  sea  (see  1  Mace.  xiii.  27-30). 

4  At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  a  great  disaster  caused  the  Maccabees  to 
lay  aside  the  nice  scruple  of  not  defending  themselves  on  the  Sabbath  ;  thus 
combining  true  "mercy"  to  their  followers  with  the  lawful  "sacrifice"  of 
their  enemies. 


B.C.  400-106.  THE  MACCABEES.  22? 

great  treasure,  they  found  merchants  who  had  come  to  buy  the 
expected  Jewish  prisoners,  but  who  were  themselves  now  sold  for 
slaves.  "Would  that  all  slave-dealers  since  then  had  been  served 
bo  !  This  first  year  was  crowned  with  a  fifth  victory  beyond  the 
Jordan,  in  which  20,000  Syrians  fell,  followed  by  the  capture  of 
many  strongholds  of  Gilead  (b.c.  167). 

Next  year,  Lysias  marched  with  a  great  army  to  the  fortress  of 
Beth-sura  ("  the  house  of  the  rock"),  which  commands  the  road  tQ 
Jerusalem  from  the  south.  His  utter  defeat  gave  the  patriots  pos^ 
session  of  the  capital,  except  the  fort  called  the  "Syrian  Tower;" 
and  his  retreat  to  Antioch  allowed  an  interval  of  rest  for  purifying 
the  house  of  God.  The  memory  of  its  new  consecration  on  the  25th 
of  Chisleu  (Dec.  B.C.  166)  was,  and  is  still,  perpetuated  by  the 
"Feast  of  Dedication,"  which  St.  John  speaks  of  as  kept  in  the 
winter  (John  x.  22). 

While  Judas,  with  his  brothers  Simon  and  Jonathan,  repelled  the 
attacks  of  the  old  enemies  of  Judah — Edom,  Amnion,  and  other  sur- 
rounding nations — and  overran  Philistia  and  Samaria,  Antioehus 
Epiphanes  died  in  torment  on  his  return  from  the  East  to  crush 
the  rebellion  (c.c.  164^.  His  young  son  Antioehus  V.  Eupator — a 
mere  tool  in  the  hands  of  Lysias — marched  with  that  general  to  re- 
lieve the  Syrian  garrison  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  their  capture  of  Beth- 
sura  was  attended  by  the  first  loss  among  the  sons  of  Mattathias. 
Eleazar  Avakan,  the  fourth  of  the  Maccabasan  brothers,  Mas 
crushed  by  an  elephant,  beneath  which  he  had  crept  and  kill- 
ed it.  A  peace  was  now  made,  but  shamefully  violated  by  the 
king,  who  was  no  sooner  admitted  into  Jerusalem  than  he  pulled 
down  the  wall  lately  built  by  Judas.  He  himself  was  presently 
overthrown  by  Demetrius  I.  Soter  (b.c.  1C2),  who  followed  the  sub- 
tler policy  of  attacking  the  Jews  through  their  own  divisions,  Hel- 
lenism once  more  lifted  its  head  under  a  usurping  high-priest, 
Joakim,  or  by  his  Greek  name  Alcimds,  who  had  been  installed  by 
Antioehus  Eupator,  while  the  rightful  successor,  Onias  IV.,  built 
another  temple  in  Egypt.  But  the  people  rejected  the  apostate ; 
and  a  great  army  sent  to  his  help  under  Nicanor  was  utterly  de- 
feated by  Judas  at  Adasa,  near  Joshua's  old  battle-field  of  Beth- 
horon,  on  the  13th  of  Adar  (end  of  February,  b.c.  161).  But  in 
the  same  year  this  "  Marathon"  of  the  Maceabrcan  War  was  fol- 
lowed by  its  "  Thermopylae  "  at  Eleasa,  a  place  probably  in  the  high- 
lands above  Ashdod.  Jealousies  had  again  sprung  up  among  the 
zealots  called  "Assidreans  "  against  the  Maccabees  ;  and,  to  oppose 
a  fresh  Syrian  army  of  20,000  foot  and  2000  horse  under  Bacchides, 
Judas  had  only  3000  men,  whom  fear  and  disaffection  thinned  down 
to  800.      "  If  our  time  be  come,  let  us  die  manfully  with  our  breth* 


228  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XIX. 

ren,  and  let  us  not  stain  our  honor,"  said  Judas  before  his  last 
fight.  Victorious  over  the  wing  opposed  to  him,  he  was  over- 
whelmed by  the  numbers  that  assailed  his  rear  as  he  pursued  the 
fugitives  to  Azotus,  and  his  death  dispersed  his  followers.  His 
brothers,  Jonathan  and  Simon,  buried  him  at  Modin,  amidst  the 
lamentations  of  all  the  people,  as  they  cried,  "  How  is  the  valiant 
man  fallen  that  delivered  Israel !"  (1  Mace.  ix.). 

While  the  Syrian  general  Bacchides  and  the  apostate  high-priest 
Alciinus  were  hunting  down  the  patriots,  Jonathan  (surnamed 
Appiius,  "  the  Wary"),  the  youngest  of  the  Maccabaean  brethren, 
held  out  in  the  wilderness  of  Tekoah,  and  took  vengeance  on  some 
Arabs  who  had  treacherously  slain  his  eldest  brother  John  (Johan- 
an).  The  other  surviving  brother,  Simon,  was  invaluable  as  a  coun- 
sellor. The  ensuing  events  are  mixed  up  with  the  intricate  vicis- 
situdes of  the  Syrian  kings  and  usurpers,  whose  interest  sometimes 
prompted  peace  and  sometimes  war  with  the  Maccabees.  It  must 
suffice  to  say  that  Jonathan  was  installed  in  the  high-priesthood  at 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  b.c.  153,  thus  beginning  the  line  of  As- 
mona;an  priest-princes ;  and  that,  ten  years  later,  he  was  treacher- 
ously put  to  death  by  Tryphon,  a  usurper  of  the  Syrian  crown 
(b.c.  143). 

Now  at  length  the  internal  disorders  of  Syria  enabled  the  sec- 
ond, and  the  last,  survivor,  of  the  Maccabaean  brethren  to  complete 
the  work  ;  and  the  independence  of  Judaea  was  recognized  by  the 
king,  Demetrius  Nicator.  Simon  broke  the  last  and  heaviest  link 
of  the  Syrian  fetters  by  the  reduction,  through  famine,  of  their  tow- 
er in  Jerusalem.  The  date  of  the  levelling  and  purification  of  the 
site  (the  23d  of  the  2d  month  =  May,  b.c.  142)  was  regarded  as  the 
Epoch  of  Jewish  Freedom,  and  was  kept  as  an  annual  festival.  Si- 
mon was  made  hereditary  high-priest ;  and  the  historian  of  the 
Maccabees  dwells  fondly  on  the  peace  which  Judoea  enjoyed  under 
Simon.  "Then  did  they  till  their  ground  in  peace,  and  the  earth 
gave  her  increase,  and  the  trees  of  the  field  their  fruit.  The  an- 
cient men  sat  in  all  the  streets,  communing  together  of  good  things, 
and  the  young  men  put  on  glorious  and  warlike  apparel.  He  pro- 
vided victuals  for  the  cities,  and  set  in  them  all  manner  of  muni, 
tion,  so  that  his  honorable  name  was  renowned  unto  the  end  of  the 
World.  He  made  peace  in  the  land,  and  Israel  rejoiced  with  great 
joy.  .  .  .  He  beautified  the  sanctuary,  and  multiplied  the  ves- 
sels of  the  temple  "  (1  Mace.  xiii.  43-53).  While  his  internal  gov- 
ernment was  just  and  firm,  he  opened  up  a  commerce  with  Europe 
through  the  port  of  Joppa,  and  renewed  the  treaties  which  Judas 
and  Jonathan  had  made  with  Rome  ami  Laeeda^monfor  aid  against 
Syria.      The  letters  in  favor  of  the  Jews,  addressed  by  the  Roman 


B.C.  400-106.    EPOCH  OF  JEWISH  FREEDOM.  229 

Senate  to  the  states  and  islands  of  Greece,  and  Asia  Minor,  and  to 
the  great  potentates  of  Asia,  including  even  the  Parthian  Arsaces, 
are  a  striking  evidence  of  the  wide  diffusion  of  the  Jewish  race. 
A  lasting  memorial  of  Simon's  services  and  of  the  gratitude  of  his 
country  was  inscribed  on  tablets  of  brass  and  set  up  in  Mount  Zion 
(1  Mace.  xiv.  1-49  ;  xv.  15-24).  His  prosperity  was  crowned  by 
the  victory  of  his  two  sons,  Judas  and  John,  in  the  last  attack  madu 
by  Syria  against  Judaea  under  Antiochus  VII.  Sidetcs.  But,  as  if 
the  roll  of  the  martyred  Maccabees  must  not  want  its  last  name, 
Simon  was  treacherously  murdered,  with  his  eldest  and  third  sons, 
Judas  and  Mattathias,  by  his  own  son-in-law,  Ptolemy,  at  Jericho 
(u.c.  135).  Thus,  in  exactly  one  generation  of  thirty-three  years 
from  the  uprising  of  Mattathias,  all  his  five  sons  had  fallen  in  re- 
storing the  religion  and  freedom  of  their  country. 

It  remained  for  John  Hyrcanus,  the  second  son  of  Simon,  to 
complete  the  work  just  when  it  seemed  all  undone.  Having  been 
accepted  as  leader  at  Jerusalem,  he  marched  against  Jericho  ;  but 
the  cruelties  inflicted  by  Ptolemy  on  his  mother  and  brothers  upon 
the  city  walls  caused  John  to  retire,  and  Ptolemy  escaped  beyond 
the  Jordan.  Jerusalem,  however,  was  soon  forced  to  capitulate  to 
the  Syrians,  and  Judaea  became  once  more  tributary  (b.c.  133). 
But  the  death  of  Antiochus  in  Parthia  enabled  John  to  cast  off  the 
yoke;  and  the  restored  king,  Demetrius  Nicator,  finally  confirmed 
his  former  grant  of  Jewish  independence  (n.c.  128).  The  state  ac- 
quired its  full  extent  by  the  conquest  of  the  land  beyond  the  Jordan 
and  of  the  old  foes  in  Idumasa  and  Samaria;  and  the  schismatic 
temple  on  Mt.  Gerizim  was  pulled  down  (b.c.  109).  John  built  at 
Jerusalem  the  Tower  of  Baris,  which  afterwards  became  famous  un- 
der the  name  of  Antonia.  But  the  close  of  his  government  saw 
the  rupture  of  the  religious  unity  of  the  nation  by  the  rise  of  the 
opposing  sects  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  ;  and  a  personal 
quarrel  with  the  former  led  John  to  join  the  latter  sect. 

John  Hyrcanus  died  exactly  sixty  years,  or  the  space  of  two  com- 
plete generations,  after  his  grandfather  Matthias  (b.c.  106).  As  he 
began  a  new  generation  of  the  Maccabsean  house,  so  was  he  the  first 
to  escape  the  violent  end  to  which  his  father  and  uncles  had  suc- 
cumbed. His  death  marks  the  transition  from  the  theocratic  com- 
monwealth, under  the  Maccabam  leaders,  to  the  Asmona?an  king- 
dom, which  was  established  by  his  son  Judas  or  Aristobulus,  whose 
Greek  name  is  but  too  significant  of  the  Helenizing  character  of  the 
new  era. 


Remains  of  Arch  of  Bridge  of  Temple. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  NEW  KINGDOM  OF  JUDAEA. 
THE   ASMON^ANS    AND   HEROD. — B.C.   106-B.C.  4. 

John  Htrcanus  hail  called  himself  Prince  of  Israel;  for  th? 
Maccabees  loved  to  recognize  the  unity  of  the  nation.  But,  from 
the  time  when  the  parts  of  its  territory  were  re-united,  the  Greek 
and  Roman  name  of  Judjea  begins  to  prevail.  In  its  wider  sense, 
that  name  denotes  the  whole  land  which  we  more  frequently  call 
Palestine,  and  which  is  divided  into  the  four  parts  of  Judcca  in  the 
south,  Samaria  in  the  centre,  Galilee  in  the  north,  and  Perma  be- 
yond the  Jordan.  These  names,  already  long  used,  avo  now  required 
constantly  in  the  narrative ;  and  we  have  to  speak  or"  the  kingdom 
founded  on  the  death  of  Hyrcanus  as  the  kingdom  of  Judaea.  But 
far  greater  than  any  change  of  name  is  the  sudden  transition  from 
the  patriotism  of  the  Maccabees  to  the  scenes  of  murderous  ambi- 
tion and  religious  discord  on  which  we  have  no  need  to  dwell  at 
length. 

.A  niSTOBULTjs  I.  (b.c.  106-5),  the  eldest  son  of  John  Hyrcanus, 
seized  the  high-priesthood,  as  well  as  the  civil  govei-nment,  which 
had  been  left  to  his  mother,  whom  he  imprisoned  and  starved  to 
death.  He  then  assumed  the  diadem,  and  so  founded  the  Asmo- 
ntean  kingdom,  which  lasted  for  seventy  years  of  perpetual  confu- 
sion and  crime.     He  conquered  the  district  of  Ituraea  (afterwards 


B.C.  106-B.C.  4.     ASMON^EAN  KINGDOM.  231 

called  Auranitis,  the  Hawaii),  and  died  in  an  agony  of  remorse, 
after  putting  his  brother  Antigonus  to  death  from  a  false  suspicion 
of  treason.  He  was  hated  as  a  Sadducee  and  a  favorer  of  Greek 
practices. 

His  eldest  surviving  brother,  Alexander  Jann^eus  (b.c.  105 
-78),  secured  the  diadem  and  mitre  by  the  murder  of  his  next 
brother.  He  effected  some  conquests,  but  drew  down  on  his  king- 
dom foreign  invasion  and  civil  war ;  and  he  celebrated  his  victo- 
ry in  the  latter  by  gloating,  as  he  feasted  with  his  wives  and  con- 
cubines, over  the  crucifixion  of  800  of  his  enemies.  He  left,  the 
high-priesthood  to  his  elder  son  Hyrcanus,  and  the  diadem  to  his 
wife  Alexandra  (b.c.  78-69),  to  whom  he  gave  such  dying  advice 
as  reconciled  the  Pharisees  both  to  her  and  to  his  own  memory. 
But  the  queen  secretly  prepared  for  revenge,  and  aided  her  young- 
er son  Aristobulus  to  gain  over  the  army,  so  that  on  her  death  and 
the  succession  of  Hyrcanus  II.,  his  brother  defeated  the  forces  of 
the  Pharisees,  marched  upon  Jerusalem,  and  seized  the  diadem  and 
high-priesthood,  as  Aristobulus  II.  (b.c.  69-G3),  allowing  Hyrca- 
nus to  retire  into  private  life.  Scarcely  was  this  effected,  when  a 
new  enemy  arose  in  the  person  of  an  Idumsean  named  Antipater, 
the  son  of  Antipas,  and  the  father  of  Herod  the  Great.1  By  his  ad- 
vice Hyrcanus  fled  to  Aretas,  king  of  the  Nabathrean  Arabs,  whose 
capital  was  the  rock-hewn  city  of  Petra  ;  and  this  king,  with  Hyn^ 
nus  and  Antipater,  led  an  army  of  50, 000  men  against  Aristobulus, 
whom  they  defeated  and  shut  up  in  Jerusalem  (b.c.  65). 

But  now  the  civil  war  brought  Home  upon  the  scene  as  the 
stern  arbiter  foreshadowed  by  the  iron  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  vision. 
While  Pompey  was  pursuing  Mithridates  to  his  last  strongholds, 
his  lieutenant  Scaurus  conquered  Syria,  and  ordered  Aretas  to 
withdraw  from  Jerusalem  (b.c.  64)  ;  and  the  quarrel  of  the  two 
brothers  was  referred  to  Pompey.  The  rashness  of  Aristobulus 
caused  his  own  imprisonment  and  the  storming  of  Jerusalem,  with 
the  slaughter  of  10,000  Jews.  The  temple  was  profaned  by  the 
presence  of  the  Roman  standards,  "the  abomination  that  maketh 
desolate,"  as  Daniel  had  foretold  (Dan.  xi.  31 ;  xii.  11).  Pompey 
himself  entered  the  Holy  of  Holies,  but  he  left  the  sacred  vessels 
and  treasures  untouched.  Having  imposed  a  tribute,  and  demol-^ 
ished  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  he  carried  off  Aristobulus  and  his 
family  to  Home,  and  left  to  Hyrcanus  the  priesthood  and  principali- 
ty (limited  to  Judaea  Proper), forbidding  him  to  assume  the  crown 
(b.c.  63).     It  seems  that  Judaja  was  now  annexed  to  the  new  prov- 

1  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Idumseane  had  been  conquered  and 
brought  over  to  Judaism  by  John  Hyrcauus.  Autipatcr  was  brought  up  at 
the  Jewish  conrt. 


232  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XX, 

ince  of  Syria,  though  under  a  separate  government ;  at  all  events, 
it  ivas  henceforth  virtually  subject  to  Rome ;  and  it  was  really  gov- 
erned for  her  by  Antipater,  under  its  nominal  prince. 

Scarcely  was  Hyrcanus  II.  restored  (b.c.  63-40),  when  the  prog- 
ress of  Alexander  (the  elder  son  of  Aristobulus  II.),  who  had 
escaped  on  the  way  to  Rome,  caused  the  intervention  of  Gabinius, 
the  proconsul  of  Syria,  who  aided  the  high-priest  at  the  cost  of 
transferring  his  power  to  five  local  Sanhedrims.  But  now  Aristo- 
bulus returned,  having  escaped  from  Rome  with  his  younger  son 
Antigonus;  but  they  were  defeated  by  Gabinius  and  sent  back  to 
Rome.  Alexander,  who  gathered  an  army  of  80,000  men  during 
the  absence  of  Gabinius  in  Egypt,  was  utterly  defeated  on  his  re- 
turn. To  these  wars  was  added  the  plunder  of  the  temple  by  the 
rapacious  Crassus,  when,  as  proconsul  of  Syria,  he  visited  Jerusa- 
lem on  his  march  against  the  Parthians  (b.c.  54).  The  great  Civil 
War  of  Rome  at  length  involved  the  fate  of  Aristobulus  and  Alex- 
ander. The  father,  sent  back  by  Crcsar  to  secure  Judaea,  was  mur- 
dered on  the  way;  the  son  was  executed  by  Scipio  at  Antioch. 
Antigonus  remained,  but  Cassar  passed  him  over,  to  reward  the 
services  of  Antipater  in  his  Egyptian  campaigns.  While  the  pup- 
pet Hyrcanus  was  nominally  restored  to  the  rule  which  Gabinius 
had  taken  away,  by  the  name  of  Ethnarch,  the  real  power  was  in- 
trusted to  Antipater,  as  Procurator  of  Judata  (b.c.  48),  though  the 
series  of  Roman  governors  with  that  title  is  not  considered  to  begin 
till  the  death  of  Herod  the  Great.  The  aggrandizement  of  the 
house  of  Antipater  occupies  the  few  remaining  years  of  the  nominal 
Asmonam  kingdom. 

Herod  (properly  Herodes,  a  Greek  name)  now  appears  upon  the 
scene  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  He  was  the  second  son  of  Antipater. 
In  Galilee,  the  government  assigned  to  him  by  his  father,  his  energy 
in  putting  down  the  brigands  roused  the  jealousy  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
who  called  him  to  answer  for  his  assumption  of  the  power  of  life 
and  death.  He  appeared  before  them  in  arms,  and  wearing  the 
royal  purple,  with  a  menacing  letter  from  Sextus  Caesar,  the  govern- 
or of  Syria.  Only  one  man,  Sameas,  dared  to  rebuke  him  ;  Hyr- 
canus adjourned  the  trial,  and  Herod  withdrew  to  Sextus  Ccesar, 
who  made  him  governor  of  Coele-Syria. 

After  Julius  Caesar's  assassination  (b.c.  44),  Cassius,  as  procon- 
sul of  Syria,  exacted  an  immense  contribution  from  Jerusalem,  and 
sold  the  people  of  several  defaulting  villages  as  slaves.  The  party 
of  the  Pharisees  again  lifted  their  heads  under  Malichus  (a  courtier 
of  Hyrcanus),  who  poisoned  Antipater.  But  Herod,  whose  art  of 
conciliating  men  was  unrivalled,  won  the  proconsul's  favor;  so 
that  when  he  avenged  his  father's  death  by  slaying  Malichus  in 


B.C.  10G-B.C.  4.    ANTIPATEK  AND  HIS  SONS.  233 

the  presence  of  Hyrcanus,  Cassius  approved  the  deed.  Herod  next 
defeated  Antigonus,  who  had  invaded  Galilee  on  the  departure  of 
Cassius,  while  his  elder  brother,  Phasael,  put  down  a  rising  at  Je- 
rusalem. Once  more  the  battle  of  PhiJippi  (b.c.  42)  seemed  to 
give  Hyrcanus  and  the  Pharisees  a  chance  of  throwing  oft"  the  yoke 
of  the  Herodians,  as  Herod's  party  was  called  ;  but  Herod  won  over 
Hyrcanus  himself,  and  was  betrothed  to  his  grand-daughter  Ma- 
riamne,  the  daughter  of  Alexander,  the  elder  son  of  Aristobulus. 
By  this  alliance  (the  marriage  itself  took  place  five  years  later) 
Herod  became  the  representative  both  of  Hyrcanus  and  Aristobulus 
as  against  the  claims  of  Antigonus,  who  was  the  younger  son  of 
Aristobulus.  He  secured  the  friendship  of  Mark  Antony,  who  di- 
vided the  government  of  Palestine  between  Herod  and  Phasael, 
and  renewed  the  privileges  which  Csesar  had  granted  to  the  Jews 

(B.C.  41). 

But  now  a  new  hope  arose  for  Antigonus.  While  Antony  re- 
mained in  Egypt,  Syria  revolted,  and  called  in  the  aid  of  the  Par- 
thians,  whom  Antigonus  bribed  to  march  upon  Jerusalem.  Herod 
escaped  to  Rome  ;  his  brother  Phasael  committed  suicide  in  prison  ; 
Hyrcanus  had  his  ears  cut  off,  a  mutilation  which  disqualified  him 
for  the  priesthood  ;  and  Antigonus  at  length  wore  the  Asmonrcan 
crown  for  three  years  (b.c.  40-37).  But  this  nominal  reign  was 
spent  in  a  losing  conflict  with  Herod,  who,  in  a  week  from  his  arri- 
val at  Rome,  won  the  favor  of  Octavian  (it  was  now  the  time  of 
the  first  triumvirate)  ;  and,  though  he  artfully  advocated  the  claims 
of  young  Aristobulus,  the  son  of  Alexander  and  brother  of  Ma- 
riamne,  his  friend  Antony  obtained  a  decree  of  the  Senate,  appoint- 
ing Herod  king  op  Judrea.  and  he  landed  at  Ptolemais  only  three 
months  after  his  flight  (b.c.  40).  The  war  was  prolonged  chiefly 
by  the  double-dealing  of  the  Roman  general  Silo  ;  but  Herod,  sup- 
ported by  Antony,  at  length  gained  a  decisive  battle,  and  took  Je- 
rusalem after  a  six  months'  siege.  Antigonus  was  sent  in  chnins 
to  Antony ;  and  this  last  king  of  the  Maccaba3an  line  was  the  first 
sovereign  who  ended  his  life  beneath  the  rods  and  axe  of  a  Roman 
lictor  (b.c.  37).  Three  years  la:vr,  the  last  scion  of  the  Asmonajan 
house  fell  a  victim  to  the  jealousy  of  his  brother-in-law.  The 
young  Aristobulus,  made  high-priest  by  Herod,  was  received  by  the 
people  with  such  acclamations,  that  the  king  caused  him  to  be 
drowned  while  bathing.  The  aged  Hyrcanus  was  put  to  death  af- 
ter another  three  years  (b.c.  30). 

Herod,  miscalled  the  Great  (b.c.  37-4),  founded  a  dynasty  of 
princes,  who  ruled  in  different  parts  of  Palestine  under  various  ti- 
tles;  but  he  himself  was  the  only  king  of  the  whole  land,  to  which 
he  added  Trachonitis,  Auranitis,  and  Batanaia,  beyond  the  Jordan. 


234  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XX. 

By  birth  an  Idumaean,  by  policy  and  predilection  an  adherent  and 
imitator  of  Rome,  he  seemed  to  many  of  his  subjects  little  better 
than  a  heathen  conqueror.  He  signalized  his  elevation  to  the 
throne  by  offerings  to  the  Capitoline  Jupiter;  introduced  heathen 
games  within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  surrounded  himself 
with  foreign  mercenaries.  The  chiefs  of  the  Asmonasan  party 
were  put  to  death,  including  the  whole  Sanhedrim,  with  two  excep- 
tions.  But  the  complicated  details  of  his  blood-stained  reign  must 
be  left  for  future  study  ;  and  it  is  even  a  relief  that  our  space  does 
not  permit  the  recital  of  his  massacres  and  intrigues ;  the  alterna- 
tions of  his  favor  with  Antony,  Cleopatra,  and  Augustus ;  and,  above 
all,  the  horrid  scenes  of  sanguinary  jealousy  to  which  nearly  his 
whole  family  fell  victims.  The  successive  executions  of  his  broth- 
er Joseph,  his  wife  Mariamne,  and  her  mother  Alexandra,  and  his 
sons  Aristobulus  and  Alexander,  were  crowned  by  the  closing  hor- 
ror of  that  of  his  favorite  son  Antipater,  almost  in  the  moment  of 
his  own  death.  The  more  subtle  side  of  his  character  is  seen  in  the 
skill  with  which  he  appeased  Cleopatra,  and  made  his  very  fidelity 
to  Antony  a  passport  to  the  favor  of  Augustus.  His  only  great 
war  was  with  Malchus  king  of  Arabia,  whom,  after  some  reverses, 
he  defeated. 

Herod's  public  administration  was  directed  to  the  increase  of  his 
own  royal  state,  and  the  gratification  of  his  imperial  master,  as 
well  as  by  the  subtile  policy  of  counterbalancing  by  a  strong  Gre- 
cian party  the  turbulent  and  exclusive  spirit  of  the  Jews.  His 
public  works  were  splendid.  He  enlarged  the  palace  of  the  Asmo- 
nreans,  and  strengthened  the  fort  of  Baris,  adjoining  the  temple, 
which  he  called  Antonia,  after  his  patron.  He  restored  Samaria,  and 
called  it  Sebasti',  in  honor  of  Augustus,  after  whom  also  he  named 
his  splendid  maritime  city  of  Cesarea,  which  was  afterwards  the 
Roman  capital  of  Palestine.  The  other  city  of  the  same  name, 
Csesarea  Philippi,  was  built  by  his  son  Philip  around  a  splendid 
temple  which  Herod  erected  to  Augustus  at  the  chief  source  of  tha 
Jordan. 

While  thus  honoring  his  heathen  patron,  he  sought  the  favor  of 
the  Jews  by  the  restoration  of  the  Temple,  the  design  of  which  he 
announced  to  the  people  assembled  at  the  Passover  (b.c.  20  or  19). 
It  was  a  stately  pile  of  Graco-Roman  architecture,  on  the  old  foun- 
dations of  Solomon  and  Zerubbabel.  The  holy  "house  "  (va6c),  in- 
cluding the  Porch,  the  Holy  Place,  and  the  Holy  of  Holies,  was 
finished  in  a  year  and  a  half  (b.c.  16),  and  the  court  and  cloisters 
in  eight  years  (b.c.  9);  but  it  received  such  constant  additions,  that 
it  was  still  "in  building"  forty-six  years  from  its  commencement 
(John  ii.  20)  ;  and  Josephus  places  its  completion  by  Herod  Agrip* 


B.C.  106-B.C.  4.       HEROD  THE  GREAT.  235 

pa  II.  only  five  years  before  its  destruction  (a.d.  Go).  But  this 
splendid  work  did  not  blind  the  Jews  to  Herod's  real  policy;  and 
his  placing  a  large  golden  eagle,  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
over  the  Porch,  provoked  an  outbreak,  the  ringleaders  of  which  were 
burnt  alive  (about  b.c.  7). 

The  domestic  horrors  of  Herod's  reign  had  reached  their  height 
in  the  conspiracy  of  his  favorite  son  Antipater,  when  Herod  was 
seized  with  a  painful  and  loathsome  disease.  Amidst  his  sufferings, 
he  was  alarmed  by  the  ominous  inquiry  made  by  certain  strangers 
from  the  East,  "Where  is  He  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?" 
and  in  his  rage  and  terror  he  perpetrated  the  massacre  of  Bethlehem 
(see  Chap.  XXI.).  Soon  after  this  his  envoys  returned  from  Rome 
with  the  consent  of  Augustus  to  Herod's  dealing  as  he  pleased  with 
his  guilty  son,  though  the  milder  alternative  of  hanishment  was 
suggested.  About  the  same  time,  Herod  attempted  suicide  in  a 
paroxysm  of  agony.  The  rumor  of  his  death  spread  through  the 
palace.  Antipater  tried  to  bribe  his  jailer,  who  reported  the  offer 
to  Herod,  and  the  tyrant's  dying  breath  gave  the  order  for  his  son's 
execution.  It  appears  to  have  been  in  connection  with  the  fate  of 
Antipater,  perhaps  as  the  expression  of  his  own  disgust  in  yielding 
to  the  king's  importunity,  that  Augustus  uttered  the  celebrated  sar- 
casm, "  It  is  better  to  be  Herod's  hog  than  his  son  ;"  for  his  religion 
forbade  his  slaughtering  the  former.  But  if  we  look  more  closely 
into  the  form  in  which  the  story  is  preserved,  we  shall  find  that, 
amidst  a  natural  confusion,  it  supplies  an  incidental  proof  that  the 
massacre  of  Bethlehem  was  known  at  Rome.  After  using  his  last 
remnant  of  strength  to  give  final  directions  about  his  will,  he  ex- 
pired five  days  after  the  death  of  Antipater,  shortly  before  the  Pass- 
over (April  1st,  b.c.  4).2  He  had  just  entered  on  the  thirty-seventh 
year  of  his  reign,  dating  from  the  edict  which  gave  him  the  kingdom, 
and  the  thirty-fourth  of  his  actual  possession  of  the  throne,  dating 
from  the  death  of  Antigonus. 

2  There  is  now  no  doubt  that  the  common  era  of  the  birth  of  our  Saviour 
is  wrong  by  four  years.  Christ  was  born  shortly  before  the  death  of  Herod, 
and  we  kuow  that  the  latter  died  four  years  before  the  Christian  era. 


Bethlehem. 

PART  III. 

THE  HIST011Y  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

FROM  THE  NATIVITY  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  TO  THE  DESTRUCTION 
OF  JERUSALEM.— B.C.  4-A.D.  70. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE    NATIVITY   AND    EARLY    MINISTRY    OF    JESUS    CHRIST,   TO 
HIS    FIRST    PASSOVER. B.C.  4-A.D.  27. 

The  History  of  the  New  Covenant  divides  itself  into  two 
great  parts  :  The  Revelation  of  the  Gospel  by  Jesus  Christ,  including 
the  accomplishment  of  his  work  of  redemption ;  and  The  Propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel,  and  the  full  establishment  of  the  Christian 
Church,  by  his  Apostles  after  his  ascension.     The  former  is  re- 


B.C.  4-A.D.  27.       THE  NEW  COVENANT.  237 

lated  in  the  Four  Gospels,  in  the  various  forms  suited  to  the  special 
purpose  of  each  Evangelist,  which  have  to  be  compared  and  har- 
monized. The  latter  is  related  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  de- 
veloped and  illustrated  in  their  Epistles  or  Letters  to  the  Churches, 
as  well  as  to  individuals,  which  also  afford  further  materials  for  the 
history.  In  both  cases  it  is  the  object  of  this  elementary  work  to 
set  the  leading  points  of  the  narrative  in  their  own  clear  light  and 
proper  order,  leaving  doubtful  questions  and  theological  lessons  for 
more  advanced  study.  And  as  this  book  is  a  companion  to,  not  in 
any  sense  a  substitute  for,  the  New  Testament,  which  the  reader 
will  always  have  before  him,  the  unnecessary  repetition  of  its  de- 
tails is  avoided. 

The  openings  of  the  Four  Gospels  give  four  different,  but  almost 
equally  important,  starting-points  for  all  that  follows.  St.  John 
goes  back  to  the  true  "  beginning"  in  the  divine  glory  and  creative 
work  of  the  Word,  which  was  manifested  in  the  flesh.  St.  Luke, 
with  the  practical  view  of  instructing  new  converts,  traces  the  story 
in  order,  from  the  wonders  which  heralded  the  births  of  Jesus  and 
his  forerunner.  St.  Matthew,  who  writes  with  constant  refer- 
ence to  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  shows  that  Jesus  was  by  his 
descent  and  birth  the  Messiah  or  Christ1  predicted  by  the  proph- 
ets from  the  earliest  times,  the  "seed"  promised  to  Adam  and 
Abraham,  and  the  royal  son  of  David.  St.  Mark,  whose  Gospel 
has  all  the  signs  of  being  a  condensed  account,  dates  "  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,"  from  the  min- 
istry of  John  the  Baptist  as  his  forerunner. 

In  order  of  time,  then,  the  narrative  begins  with  the  striking  sto- 
ry of  the  aged  and  blameless  couple,  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  both 
of  priestly  descent,  who  were  childless  and  hopeless  of  offspring, 
During  his  week  of  service  in  the  temple,  as  a  priest  of  the  course 
of  Abia  (or  Abijah),  the  eighth  of  the  courses  appointed  by  David, 
Zacharias  had  carried  the  blood  of  the  lamb  of  the  daily  sacrifice 
into  the  Holy  Place,  to  offer  it  with  incense,  while  the  people  were 
praying  without ;  when  the  angel  Gabriel  appeared  to  him,  to  an- 
nounce that  Elisabeth  should  bear  a  son,  whose  name  was  to  be 
called  John  (Heb.  Johanav,  i.  e.,  "  Gift,  of  Jehovah ,"  like  the  Greek 
Theodore).  The  child  was  to  be  brought  up  as  a  Nazarite,  like 
Elijah,  in  preparation  for  the  ministry  which  had  been  assigned  by 
the  prophet  Malachi  to  the  new  Elijah,  as  the  forerunner  of  the 
Lord  (Mai.  iv.  5).  For  a  sigp,  the  unbelieving  father  was  struck 
dumb,  till  the  prophecy  should  be  fulfilled. 

Six  months  later  the  same  angel  was  sent  to  Nazareth,  in  Galilee, 

1  Once  for  all  it  may  be  here  stated  that  Christ  (Xpia-Tos)  is  the  Greek 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  word  Messiah,  signifying  Anointed. 


238  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXI. 

to  Mary,  a  virgin  betrothed  to  Joseph  (who,  like  herself,  was  of  the 
royal  line  of  David),  to  salute  her  as  "  blessed  among  women,"  and 
the  destined  mother  of  a  child  who  should  be  called  Jesus  (Heb. 
Joshua,  i.  e.,  "  Help  or  sulfation  of  Jehovah")."  This  repetition 
of  the  name  of  the  great  leader  of  Israel  was  explained  by  his  far 
higher  character  as  "the  Son  of  the  Highest,"  who  had  "given 
him  the  throne  of  his  father  David  ;"  and  again  afterwards  by  the 
word  of  the  same  angel  to  Joseph:  "Thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins"  (Matt.  i.  21). 
This  "Annunciation  of  the  Virgin  Mary,"  as  it  is  called  by  the 
Church,3  was  confirmed  by  the  salutation  of  her  cousin  Elisabeth, 
whom  Mary  visited  in  her  retirement,  and  afterwards  by  the  revela- 
tion by  which  the  same  angel  removed  Joseph's  suspicions  of  his 
betrothed  wife  (Luke  i.  ;  Matt.  i.). 

In  due  time  Elisabeth's  promised  child  was  born ;  and,  at  his 
circumcision,  his  father's  tongue  was  loosed,  to  give  him  the  name 
appointed  by  the  angel,  and  to  surprise  his  assembled  friends  by  the 
prophetic  announcement  of  his  destiny  and  of  the  coming  visitation 
of  Israel,  in  the  hymn  called  the  "Benedictus."  John  is  at  onco 
withdrawn  for  a  time,  to  undergo  the  training  of  a  Nazarite  :  "And 
the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  and  was  in  the  deserts 
till  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel  "  (Luke  i.).  He  lived  in  the 
wild  region  west  of  the  Dead  Sea,  clad,  like  Elijah,  in  the  prophet's 
garment  of  camel's  hair,  and  feeding  on  locusts  and  wild  honey 
(comp.  Lev.  xi.  22). 

Six  months  later  Jesus  was  born.'  We  have  seen  that  his  par- 
ents lived  at  Nazareth,  a  city  in  the  hills  of  Galilee,  north  of  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon.  But  the  sure  word  of  prophecy  had  declared 
that  Christ  should  be  born  at  Bethlehem  in  Judah,  the  native 
place  of  his  royal  father  David,  and  it  was  thus  fulfilled.  Augus- 
tus issued  a  decree  for  a  census  of  "all  the  world,''  that  is,  the 
Roman  empire  and  its  subject  kingdoms,  among  which  Herod's 
was  reckoned.  "All  went  to  be  enrolled,  every  one  to  his  own  city ;" 
and  so  Joseph  and  Mary  were  brought  to  that  stable  in  Bethlehem 
where  the  birth  of  Jesus  and  the  "  good  tidings"  of  his  Gospel  were 
first  announced  by  angels  to  the  shepherds  on  the  hills  by  night. 
Born  still  under  the  law  of  Moses,  he  was  circumcised  on  the  eighth 
day,  and  on  the  fortieth  he  was  presented  in  the  temple,  with  those 

2  At  this  first  step,  as  in  many  others  afterwards,  we  lose  much  of  the  ktir 
man  interest  of  our  Saviour's  course,  if  we  forget  that  Jestts  wTas  a  commou 
and  favorite  name  with  the  Jews,  especially  in  the  Asmousean  period. 

3  It  is  commemorated  by  the  "Feast  of  the  Annunciation,"  commonlj 
called  "  Lady  Day,"  on  March  25th. 

4  See  the  Note  at  the  end  of  Chap.  XX. 


B.C.  4-A.D.  27.  THE  NATIVITY.  239 

offerings  for  a  first-born  son  which  the  law  appointed  for  the  poor 
(Lev.  xii.).  Here  he  was  welcomed  by  the  prophetic  voices  of 
Simeon  and  Anna,  who  had.  long  waited  by  inspiration  to  behold 
the  Christ,  the  "Anointed  of  Jehovah,"  as  the  "  Salvation  of  God" 
and  the  "Light  of  the  Gentiles,"  as  well  as  the  "Glory  of  Israel;" 
and  Anna  "  spoke  of  him  to  all  that  looked  for  redemption  in 
Israel"  (Luke  ii.). 

Doubtless  these  were  chiefly  the  obscure  and  poor;  but  another 
announcement  of  his  advent  added  to  the  agonies  of  Herod's  fatal 
illness,  and  set  all  Jerusalem  in  commotion.  We  need  not  repeat 
the  story  of  the  "wise  men,"  or  rather  Magians — a  name  which 
seems  to  point  to  a  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates 
— who,  with  their  offerings,  were  the  first-fruits  of  the  Gentile 
world,  among  whom  "God  had  not  left  himself  without  a  witness." 
The  answer  which  Herod's  inquiries  drew  from  the  Sanhedrim  is 
the  first  of  many  proofs  that  the  blindness  of  the  Jews  to  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus  was  willful.  The  refuge  of  the  holy  family  in 
Egypt  formed  a  step  by  which  the  course  of  his  life  was  conformed 
to  his  people's  history,  and  so  fulfilled,  in  its  highest  sense,  the 
saying  of  the  prophet  Hosea,  "  Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  son" 
(Hosea,  xi.  1).  The  death  of  Herod,  shortly  before  the  Passover 
of  n.c.  4,  was  the  signal  for  their  return ;  but  the  news  of  the  suc- 
cession of  Archelaus,  in  place  of  the  popular  Herod  Antipas,  caused 
them  to  turn  aside  by  the  coast  road  to  Galilee,  to  their  old  abode 
at  Nazareth.  That  city,  odious  to  the  Jews  of  Judah,  gave  to  Jesus 
and  his  disciples  their  first  name  of  Nazarenes,  still  used  in  de- 
rision by  some  Jews  (Matt.  ii.). 

Here  we  lose  sight  of  Jesus  till  his  twelfth  year;  and  we  are  only 
told  that  "the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled  with 
wisdom  :  and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him  "  (Luke  ii.  39,  40). 
These  words  indicate  that  study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  that  inward 
preparation  for  his  mission,  which  he  showed  among  the  rabbis  in 
the  temple  when  he  went  up  with  his  parents,  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
to  keep  his  first  Passover  (a.d.  8  or  0).  After  plainly  announcing 
his  inspiring  consciousness  that  "He  must  be  about  his  Father's 
business,"  he  proved,  by  returning  home  and  living  in  obedience 
to  his  parents,  that  he  had  learnt  to  wait  God's  time  (Luke  ii. 
41-52).  That  "Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  in  stature,  and  in 
favor  with  God  and  man,"  is  the  only  record  of  the  eighteen  years 
before  his  appearance  at  the  age  of  thirty. 

To  understand  the  circumstances  amidst  which  he  began  his 
ministry,  and  the  careful  dates  given  by  St.  Luke,  we  must  glance 
briefly  at  the  state  of  Palestine  during  these  thirty  years. 

The  disposal  of  Herod's  succession  will  be  better  understood  from 
the  following  table : 


240  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXI 

A.  Herod  tup.  Great. 

Wives.  Soils. 

i.  Doris 1.  Antipater \ 

ii.  Mariamne,  grandd.  of    2.  Aristobulus I  Executed  by  their  fathet 

Hyrcanus  II.  3.  Alexau  3er )      in  Ms  ufetime. 

ii.  Mariamne,  d.  of  Simon    4.  Herod  Philip  I...    Lived  as  a  private  person 

(m.  Herodias) 
'lv.  Malthace,  a  Samaritan     5.  Hbrod  Antipas  . .     Tetrwreh  of  Galilee. 

6.  Archelaus Ethnarch  of  Jvdcea. 

%    Cleopatra 7.  Hekod  Philip  II..     Tetrarch  of  Northern  Pe 

(in.  Salome,  d.  of        rcea,  etc. 
Philip  I.  and 
Herodias). 

B.  Children  of  Aristobulus  : 

1.  Herod  Agrippa  I King  of  Judcea. 

2.  Herodias,  in.— 

(1)  Herod  Philip  I. 

(2)  Herod  Antipas. 

C.  Children  of  Herod  Agrippa  I. : 

1.  Herod  Agrippa  II Tetrarch  of  N.  Percea,  etc. 

(titular  king) 

2.  Berenice Named  in  Acts  xxv.  23. 

3.  Drusilla,  m.  to  Felix Named  in  Acts  xxiv.  24 

The  name  of  "Herod"  was  adopted  in  the  family  much  as 
"  Caesar"  and  "  Napoleon"  in  the  Roman  and  French  empires. 

During  his  last  illness,  Herod  made  a  will  in  favor  of  the  sons  of 
Malthace.  The  elder  of  them,  Herod  Antipas,  was  first  named  by 
Herod  his  successor;  but  the  last  change  in  the  king's  will  trans- 
ferred that  dignity  to  Archelatjs,  leaving  to  Antipas  the  govern- 
ment of  Galilee  and  Persea  (in  the  narrow  sense),  with  the  title  of 
Tetrarch.6  The  northern  part  of  the  trans-Jordanic  country,  in- 
cluding Iturrea,  Gaulonitis,  and  Batanaea,  with  Trachonitis,  were 
made  a  tetrarchy  for  Philip,  the  son  of  Cleopatra.  Pending  the 
ratification  of  Herod's  will  by  Augustus,  Archelaus  succeeded  to  his 
lather's  power,  and  promised  relief  from  his  tyranny.  While  he 
and  Herod  Antipas  went  to  Rome  to  receive  the  decision  of  Augus- 
tus on  Herod's  will,  the  rapacity  of  the  Roman  general  Sabinus 
(who  is  reckoned  the  first  Procurator  of  Juda3a)  provoked  sanguin- 
ary tumults  at  Jerusalem.  Augustus  confirmed  Herod's  will  in  all 
essential  points,  but  only  granted  to  Archelaus  the  title  of  Ethnarch 

6  Literally  "governor  of  a  fourth  part,"  but  applied  iudeftuitsly  to  potty 
princes. 


B.C.  4-A.D.27.         FAMILY  OF  HEROD.  241 

("Ruler  of  a  Tribe  or  Nation").  After  a  few  years  his  tyranny  pro- 
voked an  appeal  to  Augustus,  who  suddenly  summoned  him  to  Rome 
and  banished  him  to  Vienna  (Vienne),  in  Gaul  (a.d.  7).  Thus 
"  the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah,"  and  Judrca,  including  Sama- 
ria and  part  of  Galilee,  was  annexed  to  the  Roman  province  of  Syr- 
ia, but  was  separately  governed  by  councils,  under  a  procurator,  whc 
resided  at  C;esarea. 

In  Galilee  and  Persea,  Herod  Antipas,  or,  as  he  is  commonly 
jailed  in  the  Gospels,  Herod  the  Tetrarch,  aspired  to  be  the  pa- 
tron and  protector  of  the  Jews.  He  appears  twice  in  the  Gospels  ; 
as  the  hearer  and  the  murderer  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  as  taking 
part  with  Pilate  in  the  condomnation  of  our  Lord,  who  sums  up  the 
weak  but  crafty  character  of  Antipas  in  the  epithet  "that  fox" 
(Luke  xiii.  32).  After  a  government  of  forty-three  years,  his  ambi- 
tion to  obtain  the  royal  crown,  and  his  intrigues  against  his  nephew, 
Herod  Agrippa  I.,6  brought  upon  him  the  sentence  of  deposition 
from  Caligula  (a.d.  39),  who  banished  him  to  Lugdunum  (Lyon),  in 
Gaul;  so  that  the  "king  and  ruler,"  who  "took  counsel  together 
against  the  Lord  and  his  anointed,"  were  neighbors  in  their  exile. 

Philip,  or  Herod  Philip,  the  tetrarch  of  Ituraea,  Trachonitis, 
and  Batanaea — that  is,  of  the  northern  part  of  the  country  east  of 
Jordan — was  brought  up  at  Rome,  like  his  half-brothers  Archclaus 
and  Antipas ;  and  he  indulged  the  tastes  acquired  there  by  build- 
ing the  beautiful  city  of  Ctesarea  Philippi,  by  the  chief  source  of  the 
Jordan,  at  the  foot  of  Anti-Libanus.  This  city,  on  the  extreme 
northern  limit  of  Palestine,  was  also  the  northern  limit  of  our 
Lord's  journeys,  and  the  scene  of  one  of  his  most  momentous  dis- 
courses, when  he  sought  a  refuge  both  from  the  Jews  and  Herod 
under  the  just  and  moderate  rule  of  Philip  (Matt.  xvi.  ;  Mark  viii.). 
On  Philip's  death  in  a.d.  33,  his  tetrarchy  was  annexed  to  the  prov- 
ince of  Syria. 

We  can  now  understand  the  concurrent  dates,  which  St.  Luke  so 
carefully  assigns  to  the  event  which  St.  Mark  properly  calls  "  the 
beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,"  namely,  the  preaching  of 
his  forerunner,  John  the  Baptist,  in  the  wilderness  of  Judaea'' 
(Luke  iii.  1,  2  ;   Mark  i.  1  ;  Matt.  iii.  1).      His  mission,  as  foretold 

6  This  prince,  under  whom,  by  the  favor  of  Caligula,  the  dominions  of 
flerod  were  for  a  short  time  re-united,  will  be  spokeu  of  izi  the  history  of 
the  Apostles. 

7  "Lysanias  being  tetrarch  of  Abilene:"  this  was  a  small  aud  beautiful 
region  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Auti-Libanus.  "  The  fifteenth  )-ear  of  Tiberi- 
us," reckoned  from  his  association  with  Augustus  in  a.i>.  12,  brings  us  to 
a.d.  26,  the  date  usually  received ;  but  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  owu  reign 
would  bring  us  to  a.d.  28. 

Q 


242  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXI. 

by  Malachi,  was.  like  that  of  Elijah,  to  enforce  repentance  and  amend- 
ment oflifeon  a  thoroughly  corrupt  and  ungodly  generation,  as  the 
only  means  of  entering  into  that  "  kingdom  of  heaven"  which  he 
declared  to  be  "  at  hand;"  and  all  who  were  willing  to  begin  this 
new  life  were  enrolled  by  baptism,  the  well-known  form  by  which 
proselytes  were  admitted  to  the  Jewish  Church.  The  chief  men  of 
the  nation,  forming  the  rival  sects  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees, 
"  frustrated  the  counsel  of  God  against  themselves,  being  not  bap- 
tized of  him  ;"  but  it  was  otherwise  with  the  mass  of  the  people,  es- 
pecially the  Publicans.8  Of  these,  "Jerusalem  and  all  Juda?a,  and 
all  the  region  round  about  Jordan,  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan, 
confessing  their  sins  "  (Matt.  iii. ;   Mark  i. ;  Luke  iii.). 

Assuming  that  John  began  his  ministry,  like  Jesus,  at  the  pre- 
Jribed  Levitical  age  of  thirty  (Luke  iii.  23  ;  comp.  Numbers  iv.  3, 
35,  39,  43,  47),  it  had  lasted  about  six  months  (to  the  end  of  a.d. 
26),  when  Jesus  came  from  Nazareth  to  submit  himself  to  the  in- 
itiatory rite.  "For  thus,"  he  said,  "it  became  him  to  fulfill  all 
righteousness" — all  the  claims  of  the  law  upon  the  sinner,  in  whose 
likeness  he  had  come,  though  having  himself  no  sin  to  wash  away. 
As  he  came  up  from  the  water,  a  double  sign  was  given  from  heaven 
to  the  eyes  and  ears  of  the  people  among  whom  he  stood.  They 
saw  the  sky  open,  and  a  dove — the  emblem  of  the  Spirit  of  God — 
descending  and  resting  upon  him  ;  they  heard  a  voice  from  heaven 
— that  Voice  of  God  which  was  known  as  the  Bath-Col 3 — attesting 
his  mission  :  "  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  avell 
pleased."  All  saw  and  heard;  but  to  John  it  was  revealed  by 
God  that  these  signs  marked  him  whose  coming  he  had  announced 
as  One  greater  than  himself,  "who  should  baptize  with  fire  and  the 
Holy  Ghost" — with  an  inward,  thorough,  spiritual  purification. 

After  being  thus  shown  for  a  moment,  Jesus  was  withdrawn 
from  the  eyes  of  the  people,  for  he,  as  well  as  they,  needed  a  fur- 
ther preparation.  While  they  remained,  or  returned  to  their  homes, 
to  learn  further  and  to  practise  the  repentance  preached  by  John, 
he  was  led,  or,  as  Mark  says,  "driven"  (like  Elijah)  by  the  Spirit 
into  the  wilderness,  to  undergo,  during  forty  days  and  nights  of 
solitude  and  fasting,  the  great  moral  trial  of  his  humanity — the 
second  great  trial  of  human  nature  itself.  And  it  came  to  him  in 
the  same  threefold  form  as  the  first,  by  the  agency  of  Satan  appeal- 

*  This  name,  which  properly  denotes  the  great  farmers  of  the  Roman  reve- 
nue, was  also  applied  to  the  subordinate  officers  who  collected  the  tribute 
(properly  called  portitores).  The  latter  are  the  "Publicans"  of  the  Xeu 
Testament — a  class  doubly  hateful  for  their  extortion,  and  as  the  officers  nl 
the  foreign  master. 

9  Literally  "daughter  of  the  voice," 


B.C.  4-A.D.27.        JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.  243 

ing  to  the  pleasures  of  sense,  the  love  of  praise,  the  desire  of  gain. 
"He  was  in  all  points  tempted  just  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin" 
(Matt.  iv.  1-11;   Mark  i.  12.  13  ;   Luke  iv.  1-13). 

It  was  probably  during  his  absence  that  the  rulers  at  Jerusalem, 
alarmed  at  the  news  that  came  from  the  desert,  sent  priests  and 
Levites  requiring  John  to  tell  them  plainly  who  he  was,  and  received 
the  answer  which  marked  him  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah,  as 
(foretold  by  Isaiah  (John  i.  19-25;  comp.  Deut.  xviii.  15,  18;  and 
Isa.  xl.  3).  But  presently  this  denial  of  his  own  Messiahship  was 
followed  by  the  emphatic  words,  "  There  standeth  one  anion;/  you, 
whom  ye  know  not,"  who  was  his  Lord  and  theirs.  For  Jesus  had 
now  returned  from  the  scene  of  his  temptation  ;  and,  on  the  next 
day,  John  pointed  to  him  in  person  as  "The  Lamb  of  God,  that 

TAKETH  A  WAT  THE   SIN  OF  THE  WORLD."       Bllt — SUcll  is  the  law  by 

which  truth  works — this  public  proclamation  was  less  effective  than 
its  private  repetition  on  the  following  day — apparently  about  the 
time  of  the  evening  sacrifice — to  two  of  John's  disciples,  of  whom 
one  was  Andrew,  and  the  other  (we  may  safely  declare  from  in- 
ternal evidence)  was  the  Evangelist  John,  who  tells  the  story.  In 
his  words  we  read  how  these  two  followed  Jesus,  and  how  Andrew 
sought  his  brother  Peter  with  the  assurance,  "We  have  found  the 
Messiah,"  and  so,  on  that  evening,  three  fishermen,  sitting  with 
Jesus  in  a  hut  beside  the  Jordan,  already  formed  the  Christian 
Church  ;  how,  on  the  next  day,  as  Jesus  went  on  to  Galilee,  the 
little  band  was  increased  by  the  call  of  Piiilif,  of  Bcthsaida,  who 
brought  his  friend  Nathanael,10  of  Cana ;  and  in  what  weighty 
words  Jesus  already  told  them  the  mysteries  of  his  future  course, 
and  the  parts  suited  to  their  characters  (John  i.  2G-51). 

Thus  early  surrounded  by  the  first  of  those  "chosen  witnesses  of 
all  his  deeds,  who  ate  and  drank  with  him"  (Acts  x.  39,  41),  he 
gave  the  first  proof  of  his  divine  power,  in  the  narrow  circle  of  a 
family  party,  by  performing,  at  his  mother's  invitation  —  but  not 
without  a  rebuke  of  her  too  great  eagerness  to  see  him  put  forth 
his  claims — the  miracle  of  turning  water  into  wine  at  the  marriage- 
feast  at  Cana,  in  Galilee  (John  ii.  1-12).  This  wonder — so  signifi- 
cant  of  the  nature  of  his  kingdom  —  was  "the  beginning  of  his 
miracles,"  not  only  as  the  first  in  time,  but  as  introducing  the  great 
principle  of  all  bis  miracles,  at  once  to  "make  manifest  his  glory,  ' 
and  to  cause  "  his  disciples  to  believe  on  him"  (ver.  11).  His  re- 
tirement to  Capernaum,  with  his  mother,  brethren,  and  disciples,  for 
the  brief  space  before  the  opening  of  his  public  ministry  at  Jerusa- 
lem, brings  us  to  the  eve  of  the  Passover  of  a.d.  27  (John  ii.  12). 

10  His  more  usual  name  Bab-tholomew  (fiapOoXofxaios)  is  a  patronymic, 
meaning  "  Son  of  Talmai "  (Matt.  x.  3  ;  Mark  iii.  IS  ;  Luke  vi.  14). 


Nazareth. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FIRST    TEAR    OP    CHRIST'S    PUBLIC    MINISTRY. — FROM    HIS    FIRST 
TO    IIIS    SECOND    PASSOVER. A.D.   27,  28. 

St.  John's  narrative  now  carries  our  Saviour  up  to  the  Passover 
at  Jerusalem,  and  relates  some  incidents  of  great  importance  ;  and 
then  takes  him  back  to  Galilee  to  enter  on  his  ministry  in  that  land 
to  which  the  other  three  Evangelists  pass  directly  from  his  baptism. 
And  the  reason  is  plain.  The  first  three  Evangelists  dwell  upon 
our  Saviour's  ministry  in  Galilee,  where  his  public  preaching  really 
began.  The  Galilean  disciples,  from  whom  they  derived  their  in- 
formation, were  either  (like  Matthew  himself)  not  yet  called,  or  (like 
Peter  and  Andrew,  Philip  and  Nathanael)  were  not  yet  called  as 
his  constant  followers.  These  four  appear  to  have  remained  at 
home,  while  John,  already  "the  beloved  disciple,"  alone  went  up 
with  Jesus  to  Jerusalem,  and  saw  and  heard  the  deeds  and  dis- 
courses which  he  relates  manifestly  of  his  own  knowledge  (John 
ii.,  iii.,  iv.).      Over  this  ground,  then,  we  have  to  follow  him. 


A.D.  27,  28.  CHRIST  AT  JERUSALEM.  245 

After  the  short  stay  at  Capernaum,  John  adds  :  "And  the  Jews' 
Passover  was  at  hand,"  and  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  Mala- 
chi's  prophecy  of  the  "messenger,''  who,  God  said,  was  to  be  sent 
"  to  prepare  the  way  before  me,"  goes  on,  "  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye 
seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple"  (Mai.  iii.  1).  On  these 
words  the  Jews,  ever  "seeking  for  a  sign,"  are  said  to  have  built 
the  expectation  of  some  signal  appearance  of  the  Messiah  in  glory, 
which  would  at  once  reveal  him  to  the  worshippers.  But  thej 
knew  him  not  when  he  appeared  to  rebuke  the  traffic  and  disorder 
by  which  they  profaned  the  temple  to  make  gain  out  of  the  visitors 
to  the  Passover.1  lie  did  come  with  authority,  driving  out  the  pol- 
lutions, and  calling  the  house  of  God  "  My  Father's  house."  But 
this  only  provoked  cavil ;  and  their  demand  for  a  sign  was  answer- 
ed by  his  prophecy  of  the  murderous  lengths  to  which  their  unbe- 
lief would  rage  against  him,  and  of  the  crowning  evidence  which 
would  be  given  by  his  resurrection  (John  ii.  13-22).  To  this  sign 
he  added  miracles,  which  gained  many  hasty  hollow  converts  (John 
ii.  23-25).  The  most  genuine,  and  not  the  less  so  for  his  hesitation, 
was  one  of  the  most  unlikely  and  the  most  secret  in  his  profession  ; 
but  the  Pharisee  and  ruler  who  came  to  Jesus  by  night,  and  meek- 
ly submitted  to  have  his  learned  ignorance  rebuked  and  enlighten- 
ed, afterwards  spoke  up  for  him  in  the  Sanhedrim,  and  helped  to 
lay  his  body  in  the  tomb.  Meamvhile  the  timid  faith  of  Nicodemus 
was  rewarded  by  that  wondrous  discourse  which  contains  the  spirit- 
ual essence  of  the  Gospel,  and  which  we  can  not  doubt  that  John 
sat  by  and  heard  (John  iii.  1-21). 

The  statement  that  "Jesus  did  not  commit  himself"  to  tho^e 
professed  disciples,  whose  hearts  he  too  well  knew  (John  ii.  24,  25), 
seems  to  imply  a  scheme  for  proclaiming  him  thus  early  as  King 
of  the  Jews ;  for  their  passions  were  now  fermenting  beneath  the 
tyranny  of  Pilate,-  and  the  Pa<sovcr  was  the  usual  season  of  insur- 
rection. Such  may  have  been  the  reason  of  his  withdrawing,  with 
those  disciples  who  chose  to  follow  him,  to  the  country  districts  of 
Judaea.  Here  he  began  openly  to  receive  converts,  who  were  bap- 
ti/.ed,  not  by  himself,  but  by  his  disciples  ;  and  the  rapid  increase  of 
his  followers  called  forth  from  John  the  Baptist  that  discourse  tc 
his  jealous  disciples  which  formed  his  last  and  clearest  testimony 
to  Christ  and  his  Gospel  (John  iii.  22-26  ;  comp.  iv.  1,  2).  It  was 
while  Christ  "  tarried"  some  time  in  those  parts  (ii.  22)  that  John 
was   thrown  into  prison   by  Herod  ;  and  the  removal  of  the  one 

5  The  sheep,  oxen,  and  cloves  wove  for  sale  to  the  worshippers  for  sacri- 
fices ;  the  tables  of  the  money-changers  for  the  convenience  of  those  who 
had  to  pay  the  temple-tax  of  half  a  shekel. 

11  Pontius  Pilate  was  Procnrntor  of  Jndaen.  a.t>.  20-36. 


246  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXII. 

prophet  may  have  encouraged  the  Jews  to  plot  against  the  other 
(John  iv.  1,  2).  Upon  hearing  both  of  John's  imprisonment  and  of 
their  schemes,  Jesus  resolved  to  remove  from  Judaea  into  Galilee 
(ver.  3;  Matt.  iv.  12).  This  may  seem  a  strange  step,  considering 
that  it  was  Herod  who  had  imprisoned  John.  But  our  Lord's  real 
danger  was  from  the  Jews  ;  and  in  the  retired  district  round  the 
Lake  of  Galilee  he  would  be  safe  from  Herod  till  he  gave  him  soms 
personal  offense. 

The  route  which  Christ  followed  is  particularly  marked  by  John  : 
"  He  must  needs  go  through  Samaria  "  (John  iv.  4) — that  is,  the 
district,  not  the  city.  It  is  by  no  means  to  be  assumed  that  this 
was  just  the  natural  route.  Even  from  Jerusalem,  travellers  often 
followed  the  route  up  the  Jordan,  to  avoid  contact  with  the  hated 
Samaritans;  and  the  appearance  of  a  Jewish  traveller  at  Jacob's 
Well  was  unusual  enough  to  cause  surprise.  But  from  our  Lord's 
starting-point,  on  the  Jordan,  and  apparently  rather  high  up  its 
course,  the  valley  of  the  river  was  much  the  nearest  road  to  the 
Lake  of  Galilee ;  and  he  went  out  of  his  way,  when  he  turned  to 
the  left  through  a  pass  leading  into  the  valley  of  Shechem.  Hence 
St.  John's  use  of  that  "  must,"  the  force  of  which  we  have  now  to 
notice.  It  marks  the  order  in  which  our  Saviour's  public  mission 
was  fulfilled.  Driven  from  Jerusalem  and  Judffia,  he  repaired  to 
the  more  ancient  sanctuary  of  Israel,  where  Abraham,  Jacob,  and 
Joshua  had  set  up  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  Sitting  by  the  well, 
which  tradition  still  cherishes  as  the  gift  of  Jacob,  in  the  valley  be- 
tween Mounts  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  he  expounded  to  a  degraded  wom- 
an of  the  half-heathen  people  of  Sychar  (Shechem),  who  yet  boasted 
to  be  the  true  children  of  the  patriarchs,  his  own  great  gift  of  living 
water  in  the  heart,  and  the  spiritual  worship  which  should  supersede 
that  both  of  Jerusalem  and  Gerizim.  Her  eagerness  to  impart  the 
news  to  her  fellow-townsmen  brought  to  him  disciples,  who  at  once 
received  him  with  that  spiritual  faith  in  his  true  mission  which  the 
Jews  had  wanted:  "We  have  heard  him  ourselves,  and  know  that 
this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world  "  (John  iv. 
1-42). 

After  two  days  spent  at  Sychar  with  these  earnest  converts,  Jesus 
Went  on  to  Galilee,  where  it  was  appointed  for  him  to  begin  the 
public  preaching  of  his  Gospel,  and  where  he  well  knew  the  rejection 
that  awaited  him  :  "  For  Jesus  himself  testified  that  a  ■prophet  hath 
no  honor  in  his  own  country "  (John  iv.  43,  44).  Let  the  young 
reader  observe  that  this  saying — so  often  misquoted  by  the  querulous 
selfishness  of  men  who  forsooth  call  themselves  prophets — is  not  the 
reason  for  his  leaving  Judaea  to  avoid  contumely,  but  for  his  going 
on  to  Galilee  to  face  it.     At  first  the  Galileans   "received  him." 


A.D.  27,  28.     CHRIST'S  RETURN  TO  GALILEE.  247 

Many  of  them  had  been  to  the  Passover  and  seen  his  miracles  at 
Jerusalem ;  and  they  were  proud  to  have  their  own  prophet  back 
among  them  (John  iv.  45).  Their  true  spirit  is  disclosed  by  his  own 
words,  "  Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders,  ye  will  not  believe " 
(John  iv.  48).  It  was  probably  to  avoid  their  curiosity  that  he 
went  to  Cana,  living  (it  seems)  in  quiet  retirement,  till  a  courtier 
of  Herod  Antipas,  residing  at  Capernaum,  came  to  ask  him  to  heal 
his  son  of  a  fever ;  and  his  seconO  miracle  wrought  at  this  favored 
spot  proved  the  power  of  his  word  to  act  afar  as  well  as  near  (John 
iv.  46-54). 

And  now  the  time  had  come  for  the  opening  of  our  Lord's  public 
ministry  as  the  Prophet  and  Teacher  of  his  Gospel.  At  Jerusalem 
he  had  offered  himself  in  the  temple,  the  centre  of  religion,  and  on 
the  great  feast  which  was  his  own  type,  to  Jews  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  and  specially  to  the  priests  and  rulers,  by  signs,  which 
ought  to  have  revealed  their  expected  Messiah.  But  their  hearts 
were  hardened,  and  their  eyes  were  blinded  ;  and  the  plain  and 
open  preaching  of  his  Gospel  in  ivords  was  reserved  for  the  least 
likely  part  of  the  Jewish  world.  It  was  fit  that  the  message  of  sal- 
vation alike  to  Jew  and  Gentile  should  be  proclaimed  in  that  part 
of  the  Jewish  land  whose  mixed  population  was  by  birth  half  hea- 
then, and  for  that  reason  probably  the  freer  from  Judaic  narrowness. 
"Galilee  of  the  Gentiles"  had  been  named  by  Isaiah,  seven  centuries 
before,  as  the  land  on  which  the  promised  "  day-spring  "  should  first 
rise,  and  now  "The  people  which  sat  in  darkness  saw  great  light; 
and  to  them  which  sat  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death  light 
sprang  up"  (Isa.  ix.  1,  2;  Matt.  iv.  14-1G).  "The  word  ivhich  be- 
gan from  Galilee,  after  the  baptism  which  John  preached,"  is  St. 
Peter's  description  of  our  Saviour's  ministry  (Acts  x.  37) ;  and  the 
first  two  Evangelists  date  its  commencement  from  his  arrival  in 
Galilee  after  the  imprisonment  of  John  the  Baptist ;  while  Luke 
marks  it  still  more  emphatically  by  the  words,  "And  Jesus  returned 
in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into  Galilee  "  (Matt.  iv.  12  ;  Mark  i. 
15;  Luke  iv.  14).  The  "fame  of  him,  which  went  out  throughout 
all  the  regions  round  about"  (Luke,  /.  c),  seems  to  refer  to  the  quiet 
time  he  spent  at  Cana;  but  soon  "he  taught  in  their  synagogues, 
being  glorified  of  all"  (ibid.),  "preaching  the  Gospel  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  saying,  The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  at  hand:  repent  ye  and  believe  the  Gospel "  (Mark  i.  15). 
These  first  words  seem  only  to  re-echo  the  note  of  preparation  sound- 
ed by  his  forerunner,  but  with  one  striking  difference — he  invites  to 
faith  as  well  as  repentance.  And  he  soon  revealed  the  Gospel 
which  they  were  required  to  believe,  and  he  chose  one  Sabbath  and 
one  synagogue  to  expound  more  plainly  the  prophecies  which,  in 


248  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIL 

foretelling  the  time  which  now  was  fulfilled,  pointed  to  himself  as 
the  Messiah,  the  King  of  that  promised  kingdom. 

Following  that  order  of  quiet  and  natural  progress  which  was  the 
law  of  his  kingdom — working  like  leaven,  and  appealing  first  to  those 
who  ought  to  have  been  prepared  to  receive  it — "He  came  to  hi3 
own,  and  his  own  received  him  not."  Coming  to  his  home  at  Naz- 
areth, he  went  into  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath-day,  "as  his  cus- 
tom  was."  According  to  the  usage  of  the  synagogues,  he  was  in- 
vited to  read  the  Scriptures  and  to  address  the  people.  The  "  minis- 
ter" or  clerk  of  the  synagogue  handed  to  him  from  the  sacred  chest 
a  roll,  which,  in  the  regular  course,  happened  (as  men  say)  to  be 
"the  Book  of  the  prophet  Isaiah."  He  opened  it  and  read  this 
passage  :  "  The  Spirit  of  Jehovah  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath 
anointed  me  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor ;  he  hath  sent  me  to 
heal  the  broken-hearted,  and  to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives, 
and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind  ;  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are 
bound;  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  Jehovah"  (Isa.  lxi.  1,  2), 
the  Jubilee  of  the  world.  He  closed  the  book,  and  returned  it  to 
the  officer  of  the  synagogue  who  kept  the  sacred  rolls,  and  sat  down. 
But  all  eyes  remained  fixed  upon  him  in  an  expectation,  which  he 
satisfied  rather  than  surprised,  by  announcing  himself  as  the  Christ, 
who  was  thus  filled  with  the  Spirit,  to  preach  this  Gospel :   "This 

DAY  IS  THIS  SCRIPTURE  FULFILLED  IN  TOUR  EARS."       It  is  hard  for 

lis  to  understand  the  effect  of  this  announcement.  If  a  new  proph- 
et, who  had  proved  himself  such  by  no  doubtful  miracles,  were  to 
stand  up  in  one  of  our  churches,  and  to  follow  the  reading  of  the 
unfulfilled  prophecies  of  the  Millennium  by  the  same  words,  our 
astonishment  might  be  some  measure  of  theirs,  and  (such  is  human 
nature)  the  like  incredulity  would  soon  prevail. 

At  first  the  hearers  were  divided  between  admiration  of  the 
Prophet  and  offense  at  his  origin,  as  the  son  of  their  humble  fel- 
low-townsman Joseph.  But  when,  foreseeing  that  they  would 
raise  the  selfish  cry  for  signs  and  wonders  to  glorify  his  own  city, 
Jesus  intimated  that  he  was  sent  to  the  Gentiles — such  as  the  Sido- 
nian  widow  to  whom  Elijah  ministered,  and  the  Syrian  leper  whom 
Elisha  healed,  the  prophet's  own  countrymen  being  passed  over  in 
both  cases — then  their  wonder  turned  to  rage.  They  dragged  him 
out  of  the  city,  to  cast  him  from  the  hill  on  which  it  was  built;  but  he 
passed  unseen  from  the  midst  of  them,  and  went  his  way  and  came 
to  Capernaum,  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee  (Luke  iv.  16-31),  His  resi- 
dence at  this  city,  which  had  already  witnessed  one  of  his  greatest 
miracles,  and  perhaps  more,  is  referred  to  by  himself  as  having 
raised  the  place  to  heaven  in  privilege,  though  its  unbelief  cast  it 
down  to  hell  (Matt.  xi.  23).     Meanwhile  the  place  became  the 


A.D.  27, 28.  CHRIST  AT  NAZARETH.  249 

centre  from  which  the  "great  light,"  predicted  by  Isaiah,  shone 
round  upon  the  land  of  the  old  tribes  of  Zebulun  and  Naphtali, 
"the  people  that  walked  in  darkness,"  and  "sat  in  the  region  and 
shadow  of  death." 

Henceforth  our  Saviour's  chief  resort  was  the  margin  of  that 
beautiful  lake  which  is  variously  called  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  of 
Tiberias,  and  of  Gennesareth.  "  He  walked  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee." 
Days  begun  in  preaching  were  filled  up  with  the  relief  of  hundreds 
svho  were  sick,  maimed,  or  tormented  with  devils  ;  and  the  ensuing 
nights  were  spent  in  lonely  agonies  of  prayer,  or  in  crossing  over 
the  stormy  lake.  Here  Christ  is  first  presented  to  our  view  as 
preaching  the  Word  of  God  to  such  multitudes  that  he  was  fain  to 
seek  a  station  whence  to  address  them  on  the  lake  itself.  Two  fish- 
ing-boats were  drawn  up  on  the  beach,  while  their  owners  were  em- 
ployed in  washing  their  nets.  Jesus  entered  one  of  them,  which 
was  Simon's,  as  St.  Luke  simply  tells  us,  without  any  allusion  to  his 
previous  call.  But  the  command  to  Simon  and  his  brother  An- 
drew, to  put  out  into  deep  water  and  let  down  their  nets,  called 
forth  the  recognition — " M aster" — "at  tky  u-ord."  It  is  needless 
to  repeat  the  details  of  the  miraculous  draught,  which  he  explain- 
ed to  Peter  by  the  promise,  "Henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men." 
They  left  all — fish,  nets,  and  ship — to  become  now  his  constant 
followers  ;  and  the  same  course  was  taken  by  their  partners  James 
and  John,  whom  Christ  called  as  they  were  mending  their  nets 
upon  the  shore  (Luke  v.  1-11 ;  Matt,  iv."  18-22  ;  Mark  i.  1G-20). 

Their  call  was  followed  on  the  ensuing  Sabbath  by  the  casting 
out  of  a  devil  in  the  synagogue  at  Capernaum,  and  the  healing  of 
Peter  s  wife's  mother  of  a  fever  on  the  same  evening.  Then,  as  soon 
as  sunset  ended  the  Sabbath,  a  number  of  diseased  persons  and  de- 
moniacs were  brought  to  him  to  be  healed.  The  ever-comforting 
prophecy  of  Isaiah  was  fulfilled,  "  Himself  took  our  infirmities,  and 
bare  our  sicknesses  "  (Luke  iv.  31-41  ;  Mark  i.  21-34  ;  Matt.  viii. 
14-17;  comp.  Isa.  liii.  4).  The  devils,  as  they  left  the  possessed 
bodies,  repeated  the  witness  borne  by  the  one  cast  out  in  the  syna- 
gogue, "Thou  art  Christ  the  Son  of  God  ;"  but  he  at  once  silenced 
She  testimony  which  seems  designed  to  bring  upon  him  the  charge 
"of  casting  out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  devils."  This 
is  not  the  place  to  discuss  the  subject  of  demoniacal  possession,  the 
ieality  of  which  is  clearly  taught  in  Scripture.  Sin  was  the  first 
cause  of  all  disease  ;  and  when  Satan  tempted  men  to  sin,  he 
gained  a  power  over  the  body,  the  limits  of  which  we  can  not  un- 
derstand ;  but  in  the  full  control  of  Christ  over  the  evil  spirits  we 
see  at  once  the  proof  of  his  mission  and  the  means  of  resisting  their 
power  over  us  :   "Jesus  went  about  healing  all  that  were  oppressed 


250 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  XXII. 


of  the  devil."  The  memorable  Sabbath,  the  events  of  which  are 
thus  circumstantially  recorded,  may  give  us  an  example  of  our 
Lord's  labors  in  his  ministry,  and  show  us  how  he  fulfilled  his  own 
great  saying  concerning  doing  good  on  the  Sabbath-days:  "My 
Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 


Map  of  Galilee. 


The  next  morning  shows  us  another  aspect  of  our  Saviour's  char- 
acter. Instead  of  indolent  repose  after  such  a  day  of  labor,  he 
rose  up  long  before  the  dawn,  and  went  into  a  solitary  place  to 
pray.  Besides  the  impressive  example  of  early  rising  and  prayer,- 
we  see  in  this  retirement,  as  in  many  other  cases,  the  desire  to 
withdraw  himself  from  the  danger  of  an  outbreak  of  premature 
zeal.      Accordingly,  when  his  disciples  found  him,  he  at  once  pro- 


A.D.27, 28.   MIRACLES  AT  CAPERNAUM.         251 

posed  to  leave  Capernaum  for  a  time,  and  preach  the  Gosj  ^1  in  the 
surrounding  cities.  So  "He  went  about  Galilee,  teaching  in  the 
synagogues  and  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom,"  and  healing 
the  sick  and  possessed.  But  it  was  not  Galilee  alone  that  reaped 
the  benefit.  The  fame  of  his  teaching  and  his  miracles  drew  mul- 
titudes from  the  neighboring  parts  of  Syria,  from  the  whole  of  De- 
capolis,  and  the  region  beyond  the  Jordan  and  the  lake,  and  even 
from  Jerusalem  and  Judaea  (Matt.  iv.  23-25  ;  Mark  i.  35-39  ;  Luke 
iv.  42-44). 

This  was  Cueist's  First  Circuit  through  Galilee.  It  would 
seem,  notwithstanding  the  indefinite  phrase,  "  all  Galilee,"  that 
this  first  circuit  had  a  narrow  scope.  After  the  man  cured  of  lep- 
rosy had  spread  his  fame  abroad,  he  avoided  such  great  publicity 
by  retiring  into  the  desert;  and  it  was  there  that  "they  came  to 
him  from  every  quarter."  The  only  recorded  incident  of  this  cir- 
cuit is  the  miracle  just  referred  to,  by  which  Christ  showed  his 
power  over  a  disease  incurable  in  its  virulence,  and  excluding  the 
sufferer  from  the  society  of  his  fellows,  as  well  as  the  ordinances  of 
religion  ;  one  which,  for  all  these  reasons,  has  ever  been  considered 
a  type  of  inveterate  sin.  In  healing  the  leper  by  a  touch,  our  Sav- 
iour not  only  showed  his  power,  but  claimed  a  right  that  belonged 
only  to  the  priest,  and  asserted  his  own  exemption  from  ceremo- 
nial defilement.  In  saying,  "  I  will,  be  thou  clean,"  he  assumed  a 
still  higher  prerogative,  and  pointed  to  a  more  thorough  purifica- 
tion of  the  whole  nature  ;  while,  in  sending  the  man  to  the  priest, 
and  bidding  him  offer  the  sacrifice  appointed  by  Moses,  he  at  once 
showed  his  own  reverence  for  the  law,  and  made  his  very  enemies 
witnesses  to  the  cure  (Matt.  viii.  2-4  ;  Mark  i.  40-45  ;  Luke  v.  12- 
1G  :  comp.  Lev.  xiii.  xiv. ;  Numb.  v.  2,  3). 

The  return  of  Jesus  to  Capernaum  was  followed  by  one  of  the 
most  important  incidents  of  his  ministry.  Among  the  followers 
who  flocked  to  him,  not  only  from  Galilee  but  from  Jerusalem  and 
Judrea,  were  many  Pharisees  and  teachers  of  the  law,  who  came  to 
watch  him.  In  their  presence  Jesus  performed  his  great  miracle 
of  curing  the  bedridden  paralytic,  but  not  till  he  had  first  said  to 
him,  "  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee."  The  Jews  at  once  saw  the 
claim  involved — "Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  alone?"  And 
Jesus  confirmed  it  by  adding  the  deed  to  the  word :  the  man  who 
rose  up  and  walked  at  his  command  proved  his  power  to  forgive 
sins  (Matt.  ix.  2-8  ;   Mark  ii.  1-12  ;   Luke  v.  17-2G). 

The  call  of  Levi  or  Matthew,  also  at  Capernaum,  from  the  very 
booth  where  as  a  publican  (jportitor)  he  was  collecting  taxes,  is 
placed  by  Mark  and  Luke  directly  after  the  healing  of  the  paralyt- 
ic.     At  the  feast  given  by  Matthew,  the  presence  of  many  publicans 


252  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXII. 

and  sinners  gave  our  Lord  occasion  to  teach  the  offended  Pharisees 
that  lie  had  not  come  to  call  the  righteous — those  who  fancied 
themselves  such  —  but  sinners,  to  repentance  (Matt.  ix.  9  -14 ; 
Mark  ii.  15-17;  Luke  v.  27-32).  At  the  same  banquet  Jesus  an- 
swered the  charge  made  against  his  disciples  for  not  fasting,  and 
taught,  by  the  parable  of  the  new  wine  in  old  bottles  and  the  new 
cloth  sewn  into  an  old  garment,  the  impossibility  of  confining  the 
spiritual  power  of  his  kingdom  within  the  dead  letter  of  forms  and 
traditions  (Matt.  ix.  15-17  ;  Mark  ii.  18-22  ;  Luke  v.  33-39).  If, 
following  the  order  of  Matthew,  we  place  after  this  the  cure  of  the 
woman  with  an  issue  of  blood,  the  restoration  to  life  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jairus,  the  giving  of  sight  to  two  blind  men,  and  the  casting 
a  devil  out  of  a  dumb  man,  we  have  in  this  first  stage  of  our  Lord's 
Galilean  ministry  examples  of  nearly  all  his  chief  miracles  (Matt, 
ix.  18-34  ;  Mark  v.  22-43  ;  Luke  viii.  41-5G).  In  each  species  of 
miracle  we  may  trace  some  particular  infirmity,  the  fruit  and  type 
of  a  marked  sin,  not  necessarily  in  the  individual  sufferer,  but  in 
human  nature.  Disease,  in  general,  is  the  result  of  sin,  and  the 
type  of  moral  disorder;  the  demoniac,  of  passion  ;  the  leper,  of  pol- 
lution ;  the  paralytic,  of  helpless  prostration  ;  the  loss  of  sight  and 
speech  and  hearing  are  emblems  of  tne  loss  of  spiritual  sense  by  the 
willful  shutting  out  of  spiritual  objects ;  and  the  whole  train  of 
evils  is  crowned  by  death,  the  wages  of  sin.  Nor,  in  considering 
the  various  forms  of  our  Lord's  miracles,  should  we  fail  to  notice 
the  varied  exhibitions  of  faith  in  those  who  came  to  him  for  relief; 
for  it  was  in  exciting  and  rewarding  such  faith  that  the  moral  pow- 
er of  his  miracles  was  chiefly  shown. 

Thus,  in  the  course  of  a  year  (a.j>.  27,28),  Jesus,  after  giving  the 
Jews  assembled  at  the  Passover  the  first  great  opportunity  which 
they  lost,  had  gathered  in  the  first-fruits  of  the  spiritual  harvest 
from  the  rejected  soil  of  Samaria,  and  revealed  the  light  of  the  Gos- 
pel amidst  the  darkness  of  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,  when  (according 
to  the  most  probable  interpretation  of  John  v.  1)  the  return  of  the 
Passover  called  him  up  for  the  second  time  to  Jerusalem. 


Sea  of  Galilee. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


SECOND  TEAR    OF   CHRIST  S  MINISTRY. FROM   THE   SECOND  TO    THE 

THIRD  PASSOVER.1 A.D.  28,  29. 

The  beginning  of  another  sacred  Jewish  year  called  Jesus  again 
to  the  Passover  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  here,  as  before,  the  Gospel  of 
John  is  our  only  guide.  Written  as  a  supplement  to  the  other  three, 
it  omits  the  whole  year  of  Christ's  public  ministry  in  Galilee,  and 
passes  at  once  from  the  second  miracle  at  Cana  to  the  statement 
"  After  this  there  was  a  feast  of  the  Jews,"  or,  more  properly,  "  Af 
ter  this  was  the  feast  of  the  Jews,  and  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem" (John  v.  I).2  The  record  of  this  visit  embraces  hut  a  single 
event,  which  gave  rise  to  another  of  those  great  discourses  which  it 

1  Our  Lord  did  not  go  up  to  this  Passover;  but  it  is  distinctly  mentioned 
in  the  course  of  his  ministry  in  Galilee  ;  and  it  seems  most  convenient  to 
keep  to  the  division  according  to  years. 

5  The  reasons  for  considering  this  feast  to  be  the  Passover  must  be  left 
for  future  study. 


254  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIII 

is  one  special  oliject  of  St.  John's  Gospel  to  record.  The  occasion 
was  the  miracle  which  Christ  wrought  on  the  palsied  cripple  at  the 
pool,  which  was  fitly  called  Betk-esda,  "The  House  of  Mercy." 
Our  Lord's  command  to  the  man  to  take  up  his  bed  and  walk,  on 
the  Sabbath,  brought  down  upon  him  the  charge,  so  often  repeated, 
of  breaking  the  Sabbath.  In  reply,  he  declared  that,  like  his  Fa- 
ther, he  worked  continually  in  doing  good  ;  and,  when  the  Jews 
charged  him  with  blasphemy  in  making  himself  equal  with  God,  he 
vindicated  that  claim  in  the  highest  sense,  and  condemned  their  un- 
belief (John  v.). 

It  lies  beyond  our  present  purpose  to  set  forth  the  momentous 
doctrines  of  this  or  the  similar  discourses,  which  occupy  so  large  a 
proportion  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  especially  the  vi.th,  vii.th, 
viii.th,  ix.th,  and  x.th  chapters.  The  precise  points  in  controversy, 
and  the  illustrations  employed  by  Christ,  vary  with  the  several  oc- 
casions;  but  in  all  he  appears  claiming  a  dignity  and  authority  no 
less  than  divine :  in  all  he  convicts  the  Jews,  and  especially  their 
rulers,  from  their  own  most  cherished  principles,  of  obstinate  unbe- 
lief in  rejecting  his  divine  authority.  Meanwhile  lie  had  no  sooner 
borne  the  first  of  these  great  testimonies  against  the  Jewish  rulers, 
than  he  withdrew  himself  from  their  plots  against  his  life  (John  v. 
1(*>),  and  returned  from  this  Passover — where  he  had  for  the  second 
time  shown  himself  in  vain  to  the  Jews  as  the  Son  of  God — to  the 
scene  of  his  more  hopeful  labors  in  Galilee.  There  we  constantly 
find  him  pursued  by  the  hostility  and  watched  by  the  emissaries  of 
the  rulers.  On  his  very  journey  he  was  followed  by  the  same  charge 
which  had  formed  their  pretext  for  plotting  against  his  life  at  Jeru- 
salem. The  innocent  act  of  his  hungry  disciples,  which  was  sanc^ 
tioned  by  a  merciful  law  (Deut.  xxiii.  25),  of  plucking  and  eating 
the  ripe  ears,  as  they  walked  through  the  cornfields  on  the  Sabbath, 
was  construed  into  Sabbath-breaking.  In  reply  he  reduced  their 
slavish  doctrine  of  the  letter  of  the  law  to  an  absurdity  by  the 
cases  of  David's  eating  the  shew-bread,  and  of  the  priests'  necessa- 
ry work  in  offering  the  sacrifices  on  the  Sabbath,  and  rebuked  the 
hard  spirit  in  which  they  judged — "  If  ye  had  known  what  this 
meancth,  i"  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  ye  would  not  have  con- 
demned the  guiltless."  And  then  combining  his  divine  authority 
with  human  sympathy,  he  declares  that  merciful  and  kindly  pur« 
pose  which  Moses  had  often  announced  as  the  true  spirit  of  the 
Sabbath,  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the 
Sabbath :  therefore  the  Son  of  Man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath." 
The  lesson  then  given  was  repeated  on  the  following  Sabbath,  when 
Christ  healed  a  man  with  a  withered  hand  in  the  synagogue  (prob- 
ably at  Capernaum),  and  silenced  the  Jews,  who  were  watching  to 


A.D.  28, 29.  SECOND  PASSOVER.  255 

see  if  he  would  perform  a  miracle,  by  the  argument  applied  by  them- 
selves in  their  own  affairs,  that  it  is  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sab- 
bath days.  The  application  to  their  consciences  was  all  the  keen- 
er, as,  while  he  was  doing  good  and  saving  life,  they  were  doing 
evil  and  seeking  to  destroy  his  ;  and,  stung  to  madness  by  his  dis- 
cernment of  their  secret  thoughts,  the  Pharisees  began  to  plot 
against  him  with  the  llerodian  party,  thus  endangering  his  security 
3ven  in  Galilee  (.Matt.  xii.  1-1-1 ;  Mark  ii.  23;  iii.  G  ;  Luke  vi.  1- 
11). 

Upon  this,  Jesus  withdrew  to  some  retired  spot  on  the  shores  of 
the  Lake  of  Galilee;  but  even  here  he  was  followed  by  a  multitude 
from  all  parts  of  the  Holy  Land,  and  even  beyond  its  borders,  from 
Idumaia  on  the  south  to  Tyre  and  Sidon  on  the  north.  As  they 
thronged  the  shores  of  the  lake,  Jesus  addressed  them  from  a  small 
vessel,  which  he  desired  his  disciples  to  provide.  He  healed  their 
diseases  and  cast  out  unclean  spirits,  charging  both  the  patients 
and  the  demons  not  to  make  him  known.  In  these  acts  of  mercy, 
extended  to  many  who  were  aliens  to  the  commonwealth  of  Israel, 
and  yet  Withdrawn  so  carefully  from  all  public  parade,  Matthew  sees 
the  fulfillment  of  Isaiah's  great  prophecy  of  the  Messiah  as  the 
merciful  judge  of  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews  :  the  chosen  and  be- 
loved servant  of  God,  yet  so  meek  that  he  would  not  strive  nor  cry 
for  his  rights,  nor  lift  up  the  voice  of  self-assertion  among  the  haunts 
of  men  ;  so  merciful  that  he  would  not  break  the  bruised  reed  as 
useless,  nor  quench  the  smoking  lamp-wick  as  hopeless;  and  yet  so 
powerful,  by  this  very  might  of  gentleness,  that  his  just  judgments 
should  finally  be  crowned  with  universal  victory,  and  his  name  com- 
mand the  faith  of  all  the  nations  (Matt.  xii.  15-21 ;  Mark  iii.  7-12  : 
comp.  Isa.  xi.  10  ;   xl.  1,  3). 

In  this  assembly,  on  the  shores  of  the  Lnke  of  Galilee,  we  see  at 
length  all  the  elements  of  the  visible  Church  of  Christ  separated 
from  the  world.  So  now  he  proceeds  to  provide  for  his  Church  the 
teachers  who  were  to  guide  them,  and  the  doctrines  which  they  were 
to  teach  and  the  people  to  receive  :  the  former  by  appointing  the 
Twklvk  Apostles,  the  latter  by  the  discourse  known  as  the  SiiR- 
mon  on  the  Mount.  Not  that  his  appointments  were,  in  either 
case,  complete  or  final.  Much  was  left  to  be  ordered  and  revealed 
in  the  future,  by  his  own  teaching,  by  the  free  action  of  spiritual 
life  in  his  people,  and  especially  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
poured  out  after  he  had  left  the  earth.  The  ministers  whom  he 
now  appointed  were  those  needed  to  bear  witness  to  his  own  deeds 
and  words;  the  truths  he  taught  were  those  essential  to  the  very  en- 
trance into  his  kingdom  (Matt,  v.-viii. ;  ^.2-4;  Mark  iii.-l,  13- 
19;  Luke  vi.l  2-49}. 


256  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIII. 

The  scene  of  this  Consecration  of  the  Christian  Church  was  no 
sacred  city  chosen  by  God  like  Jerusalem,  no  temple  like  that  of 
Solomon.  The  Christian  Law,  like  the  Mosaic,  was  given  from  a 
mountain  ;  but  the  contrast  of  its  unknown  site  with  the  awful 
grandeur  of  Sinai  is  marked  by  the  name,  so  significant  of  the  dis- 
pensation, "The  Mount  of  Beatitudes."  But  in  this  case,  as  in 
that,  a  solemn  pause  precedes  the  utterance  of  the  divine  word. 
The  Mediator  himself  is  called  to  close  and  secret  communion  with 
God,  while  the  people  have  an  interval  of  awful  expectation. 
Alone,  like  Moses,  Jesus  "  went  up  into  the  mountain  to  pray,  and 
continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God"  (Luke  vi.  12). 

At  break  of  day  he  called  to  him  his  disciples.  That  this  term 
signifies  a  select  body,  chosen  by  himself  from  the  mass  of  his  fol- 
lowers, is  clear  from  the  words  of  Mark,  ' '  He  calleth  whom  he  would  ; 
and  they  came  unto  him."  Out  of  this  number  he  chose  twelve, 
whom  he  named  Apostles,3  and  ordained  them,  "  that  they  should 
be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send  them  forth  to  preach,  and  to 
have  power  to  heal  sicknesses,  and  to  cast  out  devils."  For  these 
works  they  afterwards  received  a  special  commission  from  him,  and 
performed  them,  as  his  emissaries,  during  his  ministry  on  earth. 
After  his  ascension,  it  became  their  chief  mission  to  bear  witness  to 
Christ's  resurrection,  as  the  crowning  fact  of  his  course,  and  by  this 
evidence  to  call  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  to  believe  the  Gospel. 
For  this,  their  constant  personal  intercourse  with  Christ  was  the  first 
qualification ;  and  therefore  Peter  speaks  of  them  as  "  witnesses 
chosen  before  of  God,  even  us,  who  did  eat  and  drink  with  him  af- 
ter he  rose  from  the  dead"  (Acts  i.  21,  22;  comp.  x.  41).  The 
marks  of  the  apostolic  office  were  these  :  Personal  intercourse  with 
Christ;  appointment  by  himself;  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
breathed  upon  them  by  Christ,  and  more  openly  conferred,  accord- 
ing to  his  promise,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  giving  them  power  to 
work  miracles  and  to  speak  in  foreign  tongues  ;  to  which  was  add- 
ed the  power  to  confer  that  gift  on  others.  The  union  of  these 
signs  distinguished  the  apostles  from  every  other  class  of  ministers. 
The  number  of  the  apostles,  corresponding  to  that  of  the  Twelve 
Tribes  of  Israel,  is  clearly  symbolical  of  their  primary  mission  tc 
the  Jews. 

Among  the  disciples  chosen  to  this  office,  we  find,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  those  seven  wno  had  been  the  first  to  follow  Christ, 
and  who  had  already  received  from  him  a  special  call.  The  rest 
(except  perhaps  Judas  Iscariot)  were  also  Galileans,  and  had  prob- 
ably joined  the  Master  during  his  circuit  of  Galilee.     The  following 

3  Apostle  is  a  Greek  word — ZurooroXos,  "one  sent  forth,"  from  UitoaTtWvi. 
"I  seud  forth." 


A.D.  28,  29. 


CHOICE  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


257 


fire  their  names  and  order,  as  given  by  the  three  Evangelists  (be- 
sides the  list  of  the  Eleven  in  Acts  i.  13)  :4 

MATTHEW.  MARK.  LUKE. 


1.  Simon  Peter,  ano 

2.  Andrew,  his  brother. 

IJ.Tn?^}  — ofZebedee. 

5.  Philip,  and 

6.  Bartholomew. 

7.  Thomas,  and 

8.  Matthew,  the  publican. 

9.  James,  the  son  of  Alpheus. 

10.  Lebbaeus,   surnamed    Tbad- 

dfens. 

11.  Simon,  the  Canaan ite. 

13.  Judas    Iscariot,  "who    also 
betrayed  Him." 


Simon  Teter. 

James,  and  )  surnamed 

John,  ]  Boanerges. 

Andrew. 

Philip. 

Bartholomew. 

Matthew. 

Thomas. 

James,  the  son  of  Alpheus. 

Thadda'ua. 


Simon,  the  Canaanite. 

Judas    Iacariot,  '*  who 

betrayed  Him." 


also 


1.  Simon  Peter,  and 

2.  Andrew,  his  brother. 

3.  James,  and 

4.  John. 

5.  Philip,  and 

6.  Bartholomew. 

7.  Mutthew,and 

8.  Thomas. 

9.  James,  the  son  of  Alpheua* 

10.  Simon  Zeiotes. 

11.  Judas,  the  brother  of  James. 
1*2.  Judss  Iscariot,  "  which  was 

also  the  traitor." 


The  close  connection  between  the  appointment  of  the  apostles 
and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  seen  in  the  statement  of  St. 
Luke,  that  Jesus  "came  down  with  them"  and  stood  on  a  sort  of 
lower  platform  of  the  mountain,  to  address  ''the  company  of  his 
disciples  and  the  great  multitude  of  people  out  of  all  Judaea  and 
Jerusalem,  and  from  the  sea-coast  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  "  (Luke  vi. 
17).  As  those  twelve  chosen  ministers  stood  with  him  on  the 
Mount  of  Beatitudes  in  the  morning  glow  that  shone  upon  the 
lake,  they  resembled  the  heads  of  the  Twelve  Tribes,  who  were 
called  up  with  Moses  to  hear  the  law  given  upon  Sinai.  The  dis- 
course which  follows  was  spoken  first  to  them,  as  the  manual  of 
their  instructions,  the  code  of  the  new  kingdom  of  which  they  were 
the  new  ministers,  the  outline  of  the  truths  they  were  to  teach.  It 
is  addressed  also  to  the  disciples  in  general,  in  that  and  every  age, 
proclaiming  the  spirit  of  the  new  dispensation  to  which  they  profess 
to  have  submitted,  the  truths  they  have  to  learn,  the  obligations 
they  have  to  fulfill,  the  tests  by  which  they  must  be  tried,  the 
characters  they  must  bear,  if  they  are  indeed  the  disciples  of  Jesus. 
It  is  to  the  New  Covenant  what  the  law  given  from  Sinai  was  to  the 
Old  ;  and,  to  exhibit  the  unity  of  the  Covenants,  its  precepts  are 
based  upon  the  Ten  Commandments,  unfolded  in  all  their  spiritual 
breadth,  cleared  of  all  the  human  interpretations  by  which  their 
spirit  had  been  bound  down  or  frittered  away,  and  expanded  into 
the  new  law  of  Love.  The  key-note  to  this,  the  main  body  of  the 
discourse,  is  struck  by  the  words:  "Think  not  that  I  am  come  to 
destroy  the  law  and  the  prophets :  I  am  not  come  to  destroy  but  to 
fulfill ;"  and,  "except  your  righteousness  exceed  the  righteousness 
of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  king~ 

4  In  the  form  of  the  list,  especially  in  Matthew  and  Luke,  it  is  remarkable 
how  much  the  Dames  go  iu  pairs.  This  circumstance  confirms  the  assump- 
tion that  Bartholomew  is  the  Nathanael  of  St.  Johu,  who  was  brought  tc 
Jesus  by  Philip. 

R 


258  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIII. 

dom  of  heaven"  (Matt.  v.  17-20).  The  principle  of  all  Christian 
goodness,  and  especially  of  all  Christian  love,  is  laid  in  restoration 
to  the  image  of  God  himself:  "Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is  perfect;"  "Be  ye  merciful,  as 
your  Father  also  is  merciful."  And  its  practical  climax  is  attained 
in  the  Christian  law  of  brotherly  kindness  and  charity:  "As  ye 
would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them  likewise." 
To  these  precepts  there  is  a  preface  and  a  conclusion.  The  former 
insists  on  the  spirit  and  conditions  of  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  by  repentance,  humility,  faith  in  him  and  endurance  for  his 
sake.  But  these  conditions,  unlike  the  curses  of  the  law,  are  pro- 
nounced as  blessings  and  sustained  by  promises.  In  the  conclusion, 
the  principle  of  judgment  is  brought  in  to  enforce  all  that  has  been 
said:  character  is  brought  to  the  test  of  deeds,  not  words;  and  a 
final  note  of  warning  and  promise  equally  mingled  assures  the  hear- 
ers that  as  they  sow  so  shall  they  reap — everlasting  life  from  living 
faith  in  Christ,  destruction  from  pursuing  their  self-will. 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  carried  to  the  minds  of  the  hearers 
the  conviction  that  Jesus  was,  to  say  the  least,  far  above  all  their 
ordinary  teachers  ;  "for  He  taught  them  as  one  having  authority, and 
not  as  the  scribes ;"  and  he  was  followed  by  a  new  concourse  of  dis- 
ciples as  he  returned  into  Capernaum  (Matt.  vii.  28 ;  viii.  1).  Here 
he  healed  the  servant  of  the  Roman  centurion,  who  seems  to  have 
been  a  Jewish  proselyte,  and  whose  faith,  greater  than  was  found  in 
Israel,  called  forth  the  contrast,  often  afterwards  repeated,  between 
the  multitudes  of  Gentiles  who  should  sit  down  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  "the  children  of 
the  kingdom,"  who  should  be  "  cast  out  into  outer  darkness  "  (Matt, 
viii.  5-13  :  Luke  vii.  1-10).  At  the  gate  of  Nain,  near  Capernaum, 
he  repeated  by  a  single  word  the  miracle,  which  Elisha  had  only 
,  performed  with  reiterated  and  agonizing  prayers,  of  restoring  the 
life  of  an  only  son  to  his  widowed  mother  (Luke  vii.  11-17). s 

About  this  time  we  must  place  our  Lord's  answer  to  John  the 
Baptist,  who,  hearing  in  his  prison  the  works  of  Christ,  sent  two 
of  his  disciples  to  put  the  question  plainly  :  "Art  thou  he  that  should 
come,  or  do  we  look  for  another  ?"  We  can  not  suppose  that  he 
who  had  borne  such  testimony  to  Christ  (see  p.  245)  now  began  to 
doubt ;  but,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure,  he  would  leave  his  disci- 
ples fully  convinced.  To  them,  therefore,  Christ  replies  :  "  Go  and 
show  John  again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see" — not  only 
the  curing  of  the  blind,  the  lame,  the  lepers,  the  deaf,  and  the  crown- 

6  At  the  modern  village  oiNein,  on  the  north-west  edge  of  the  Little  Her- 
mou,  where  the  ground  falls  to  the  Plain  of  Esdrnelon,  we  still  observe  the 
steep  ascent  to  the  gate,  and  the  rock  full  of  sepulchral  cavea. 


A.D.  28, 2i).  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT.  259 

ing  miracle  of  raising  the  dead — but  the  true  sign  of  the  spirit  of  the 
new  kingdom — "  The  poor  hare  the  Gospel  preached  to  them."  Af- 
ter sending  them  back  to  learn  from  their  master  what  all  this 
meant,  Jesus,  turning  to  the  people,  vindicates  John  from  any  suspi- 
cion of  wavering  or  time-serving  that  his  message  might  have  raised, 
and  bears  testimony  to  his  true  character  as  "a  prophet,  yea  more 
than  a  prophet."  They  had  gone  forth  to  the  wilderness  to  see  him, 
and  what  had  they  beheld  ?  No  pliant  reed  that  would  bend  before 
the  wind  of  adversity  :  no  dainty  courtier,  to  fear  a  king's  frown  or 
a  queen's  hatred.  No!  he  was  the  very  Elijah  predicted  by  the 
prophets  as  the  Messiah's  herald,  though  their  childish  folly,  never 
knowing  what  to  ask  or  expect,  vented  itself  in  discontent  and  un- 
belief alike  against  the  stern  asceticism  of  John  and  the  winning 
love  of  Jesus.  "  But  Wisdom  is  justified  of  all  her  children."  And 
now  the  time  was  already  come  for  Christ  to  reveal  himself  as  a 
Judge,  to  those  who  would  not  accept  him  as  a  Saviour.  The  cities 
of  Galilee  most  favored  by  his  ministry — Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and 
especially  Capernaum — are  doomed  to  a  far  heavier  judgment  than 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Such  words,  uttered  now 
over  Galilee,  as  afterwards  over  Judsea  and  Jerusalem,  show  the 
wounded  sympathies  of  the  human  friend,  as  well  as  the  just  indig- 
nation of  the  divine  Judge  ;  and  Jesus  finds  his  only  consolation  in 
thankful  acknowledgment  of  the  Father's  wisdom  in  hiding  the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  from  those  wise  in  their  own  conceit,  and 
revealing  them  to  babes.  None  may  attempt  to  penetrate  the  mys- 
tery of  this  humble  submission  of  the  Son,  in  his  character  of  Medi- 
ator, to  the  Father's  will ;  but  it  has  a  practical  aspect,  which  Christ 
himself  proceeds  to  enforce,  as  an  example  to  all  w  ho  labor  under  the 
burdens  and  weariness  of  the  world,  to  come  to  him  and  learn  the 
like  spirit  of  meekness  and  humility  as  the  only  means  of  finding 
rest  to  their  souls.  "For  my  yoke" — this  of  meek  submission  to 
God — "is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light"  (Matt.  xi.  ;  Luke  vii. 
18-35). 

Abundant  as  were  the  proofs  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  the 
Christ,  he  had  not  yet  been  actually  anointed.  This  act  of  conse- 
cration was  at  length  performed,  not  by  the  high-priest  in  the  tem- 
ple court,  amidst  the  acclamations  of  "  God  save  the  King,"  as 
Zadok  and  Nathan  had  anointed  Solomon,  but  at  a  banquet  in  t ho 
house  of  a  Pharisee  named  Simon,  who  had  scorned  to  render  to 
Jesus  even  the  common  offices  of  hospitality.  There,  as  Jesus  was 
reclining  at  the  table,  a  degraded  woman  stole  behind  his  couch, 
washing  with  her  tears  of  penitence  the  feet  for  which  Simon  had 
offered  no  water,  and,  having  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head, 
she  kissed  them  in  token  of  homage,  and  anointed  them  with  some 


260  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIII. 

choice  unguent  from  an  alabaster-box.  The  Pharisee's  indigna- 
tion at  her  presence  was  almost  forgotten  in  his  satisfaction  at 
Christ's  want  of  discernment.  "This  man," thought  he  to  himself, 
"if  he  had  been  a  prophet,  would  have  known  who  and  what  man- 
ner of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him,  for  she  is  a  sinner."  Our 
Lord  replies  to  the  unuttered  thought  by  a  parable,  which  leads  Si- 
mon to  confess  that  they  love  most  who  have  had  most  forgiven ; 
and  then  turning  to  the  woman  with  all  the  authority  of  the  Anoint- 
ed of  Jehovah,  lie  declares  the  forgiveness  of  her  many  sins  for  her 
much  love,  and  dismisses  her  in  peace  ;  while  the  Pharisees  only 
dare  to  murmur  within  their  hearts,  "  Who  is  this  that  forgiveth 
sins  also  ?"  (Luke  vii.  36-50). 6 

Jesus  now  made  a  Second  Circuit  of  Galilee,  attended  by  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  and  by  certain  women  who,  having  been  healed 
of  evil  spirits  and  infirmities,  proved  their  gratitude  by  ministering 
to  him  of  their  substance.  Such  ministry,  the  chief  social  comfort 
of  our  Lord's  lonely  life,  followed  him  to  his  death  and  burial ; 
and  some  of  these  devoted  women  were 

"Last  at  the  cross,  aud  earliest  at  the  tomb." 

Such  was  Mary,  surnamed  Magdalene,  from  her  native  village  of 
Magdala,7  who  is  now  mentioned  fur  the  first  time,  in  association 
with  Joanna,  the  wife  of  Chuza,  Herod's  steward,  and  Susanna,  and 
many  others  (Luke  viii.  1-3).  The  chief  events  of  this  circuit 
were,  the  healing  of  a  blind  and  dumb  demoniac,  followed  by  a 
controversy  with  the  Pharisees,  who  charged  Jesus  with  casting 
out  devils  by  the  power  of  Beelzebub  (Matt.  xii.  22-37  ;  Mark  iii. 
19-.*50;  Luke  xi.  14,  15,  17,  23);  the  reproof  of  the  Pharisees  for 
seeking  a  sign,  in  which  Jonah's  three  days'  confinement  in  the 
fish  is  made  a  type  of  our  Lord's  burial  (Matt.  xii.  38-45  ;  Luke 
xi.  16,  24-36);  the  visit  of  our  Lord's  mother  and  brethren,  which 
called  forth  the  declaration,  that  his  true  disciples  are  his  nearest 
relatives  (Matt.  xii.  46-50;  Mark  iii.  31-35;  Luke  viii.  19-21); 
the  stern  denunciation  of  the  Pharisees,  and  the  solemn  warnings 
to  all  the  people  concerning  faithfulness  and  watchfulness  (Luke 
xi.  37-54  ;  xii.),  enforced  by  the  use  he  makes  of  the  fate  of  Pilate's 

8  The  name  of  this  woman  is  not  given,  and  she  certainly  was  not  Mary 
Magdalene,  whom  tradition  and  art  have  strangely  agreed  to  misrepresent 
as  "  a  sinner"  of  this  sort,  because  she  had  been  possessed  by  demons.  The 
later  anointing  at  Bethany  by  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  had  quite  another 
object,  namely,  the  preparation  of  Christ's  body  for  his  burial  (John  xi.  2 ; 
xii.  3). 

7  This  was  one  of  the  many  "  Migdols  "  (watch-towers)  of  Palestine,  and 
is  probably  the  modern  cl-Mcdjel,  ou  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  about  three 
miles  north  of  Tabarvjelu 


A.D.  28,  29.    SECOND  CIRCUIT  OF  GALILEE.  261 


victims  and  those  crushed  by  the  tower  of  Siloam,  as  well  as  by  the 
parable  of  the  fig-tree  (Luke  xiii.  1-9);  the  great  parable  of  the 
Sower,  and  the  other  parables  concerning  ihe  kingdom  of  heaven 
(Matt.  xiii.  ;  Mark  iv.  1-34 ;  Luke  viii.  4-18). 8  The  same  evening 
on  which  these  parables  were  spoken  Jesus  dismissed  the  multitudes 
that  followed  him,  and  took  ship  to  cross  to  the  east  side  of  the 
lake.  On  the  voyage  he  performed  the  miracle,  which  he  after- 
wards repeated,  of  stilling  a  raging  storm  by  his  word;  and  thus 
again  showed  himself  to  the  affrighted  disciples  as  Lord  of  the  most 
ungovernable  powers  of  nature.  To  them  the  miracle  was  the 
more  striking  from  their  daily  occupation  among  those  waters 
(Matt.  viii.  18-27  ;   Mark  iv.  35-41  ;  Luke  viii.  22-25). 

The  country  of  Gadara  (or  Gergasa),0  on  the  east  side  of  the 
lake,  was  now  the  scene  of  one  of  Christ's  greatest  miracles,  the 
healing  of  the  man  (or  two  men)  possessed  by  a  legion  of  devils, 
who  were  permitted  to  punish  the  illegal  cupidity  of  the  country 
people  by  entering  and  destroying  their  swine.  The  Gadarenes, 
caring  more  for  their  swine  than  for  their  souls,  entreated  him  to 
leave  their  country,  and  he  recrossed  the  lake  to  Capernaum,  where 
the  people  were  awaiting  him  (Matt.  viii.  28;  Mark  v.  1-21  ;  Luke 
viii.  26-40). 

About  this  time  we  must  place  Christ's  second  rejection  at  Naza- 
reth, if,  indeed,  it  was  different  from  the  first  (Matt.  xiii.  54-58; 
Mark  vi.  1-6).  The  great  extent  of  this  circuit,  during  which 
"  He  went  through  every  city  and  village,"  makes  it  probable  that 
the  end  of  the  year  28  should  be  placed  about  its  termination  if  not 
earlier,  leaving  the  three  months  before  the  Passover  of  a.d.  29  for 
the  Third  Circuit. 

This  Third  Circuit  of  Gai.ilek  was  as  extensive  as  the  for- 
mer. "  He  went  about  all  the  cities  and  villages,  teaching  in  their 
synagogues,  and  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  healing 
every  sickness  and  every  disease  among  the  people  "  (Matt.  ix.  35). 
Jesus  was  followed  by  multitudes  that  were  at  last  beyond  the 
reach  of  his  single  powers.  According  to  the  image  used  by  an 
old  prophet,  he  saw  them  scattered  abroad  like  sheep  without  a 
shepherd,  and  worn  out  with  their  efforts  to  come  to  him  ;  and  he 
had  compassion  on  them.  What  he  had  first  told  his  disciples  at 
Srchar  had  now  come  true  on  a  far  larger  scale;  the  spiritual  har- 
vest was  too  great  for  the  laborers  ;  and  so,  after  bidding  them  pray 

e  On  the  subject  of  our  Lord's  Parables  in  general,  see  the  Note  at  the  end 
of  tli is  chapter. 

9  Respecting  the  different  forms  of  the  name,  and  the  striking  manner  in 
which  the  narrative  is  illustrated  by  the  features  of  the  country,  see  the 
"Smaller  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,"  s.  v. 


262  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIII, 

to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send  forth  more  laborers,  he  gives 
them  their  first  commission  to  begin  their  work  (Matt.  ix.  36-38 ; 
Mark  vi.  6-13).  He  sent  them  out  by  two  and  two,  giving  them 
power  to  cast  out  devils  and  heal  diseases,  and  to  preach  the  king- 
dom of  God.  They  were,  in  fact,  to  be  his  representatives,  carrying 
the  Gospel  to  those  who  could  not,  or  only  with  great  difficulty,  at- 
tend on  his  own  ministry.  He  gave  them  a  charge,  containing 
much  that  would  prepare  them  for  their  future  ministry,  but  some 
things  suited  only  to  their  present  mission,  especially  the  prohibi- 
tion  to  enter  the  country  of  the  Gentiles  or  cities  of  the  Samaritans. 
The  charge  that  he  gave  them,  while  containing  much  that  applied 
specially  to  their  present  condition,  embraces  also  the  great  princi- 
ples by  which  his  ministers  are  to  be  guided  in  every  age.  Their 
success  was  an  earnest  to  themselves,  and  an  example  to  all  their 
successors,  of  his  constant  presence  with  his  servants.  "  They  went 
through  the  towns  preaching  the  Gospel  and  healing  everywhere." 
"  They  cast  out  many  devils,  and  anointed  with  oil  many  that  were 
sick,  and  healed  them." 

The  return  of  the  apostles  coincided  with  some  strange  news 
which  was  brought  to  Jesus  from  the  court  of  Herod  Antipas.  We 
have  referred  more  than  once  to  the  imprisonment  of  John  the 
Baptist,  the  story  of  whose  end  must  now  be  told.  His  public 
ministry  had  been  cut  short  by  his  imprisonment  nearly  two  years 
before.  It  would  seem  (though  we  are  not  expressly  told)  that,  as 
he  advanced  up  the  river  into  Galilee,  the  interest  which  Herod  An- 
tipas always  retained  in  the  Jewish  religion  led  him  to  wish  to  hear 
the  prophet.  John  appeared  before  him  in  a  guise  unlike  the  deli- 
cate attire  of  the  courtier,  with  his  wild  Nazarite  locks,  and  his 
prophet's  mantle  of  camel's  hair,  such  as  Elijah  had  when  he  show- 
ed himself  to  Ahab.  In  the  court,  as  in  the  wilderness,  he  went 
Straight  to  the  object  of  his  mission — repentance  and  reformation 
from  positive  sin.  Herod,  though  already  married  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  Aretas,  king  of  Arabia  Petra:a,  had  taken  to  wife  Herodias, 
the  divorced  wife  of  his  half-brother  Philip;10  and,  regardless  alike 
of  the  king's  favor  and  the  woman's  vengeance,  John  said,  "It  is 
not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  her !"  For  this  offense,  Herod,  insti- 
gated by  Herodias,  and  perhaps  also  to  ingratiate  himself  with 
the  Jewish  rulers,  added  to  all  the  crimes  which  he  had  had  such 
an  opportunity  to  renounce,  that  of   shutting  up  John  in  prison. 

10  This  was  not  Herod  Philip  the  tetrareh  (see  above,  p.  241),  but  the  brothel 
who  is  distinguished  in  our  list  (p.  240)  as  Herod  Philip  I.,  who  lived  as  a  pri- 
vate persou.  Herodias  was  the  daughter  of  Aristobulus,  the  son  of  Herod 
the  Great  and  Mariamne,  and  consequently  the  step-niece  both  of  Herod 
Philip  and  Herod  Antipas. 


A.  U.  28,  29.    DEATH  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.  263 

However,  both  from  respect  for  John  and  for  fear  of  the  people, 
who  held  John  for  a  prophet,  he  resisted  the  importunities  of  He- 
rodias  for  the  Baptist's  death  (Matt.  xiv.  3-5;  Mark  vi.  17-20; 
Luke  iii.  19-20).  But  a  relentless  woman  knows  how  to  wait  for 
her  opportunity  ;  and  amidst  the  revelry  of  a  birthday  feast,  the 
daughter  of  Herodias  obtained  by  her  wanton  dance  the  rash  prom- 
ise, which  her  mother  instantly  exacted,  pointing  perhaps  to  one  of 
the  silver  platters  on  the  table — "  Give  me  here  John  Baptist's 
head  on  a  charger."  Never  was  criminal  weakness  and  shame 
more  plainly  but  keenly  described  than  iu  the  following  words : 
"And  the  king  was  exceeding  sorry;  nevertheless,  for  his  oath's 
sake,  and  for  their  sakes  which  sat  with  him,  he  would  not  reject 
her."  So  he  sent  the  executioner  to  behead  in  his  dungeon  the 
prophet,  to  whom  his  former  feelings  had  been  such  as  these : 
"  Herod  feared  John,  knowing  that  lie  was  a  just  man  and  a  holy, 
and  observed  him  ;  and  when  he  heard  him,  lie  did  many  things, 
and  heard  him  gladly  "  (Matt.  xiv.  1-12  ;   Mark  vi.  14-29).11 

While  the  disciples  of  John,  after  burying  their  master,  went  to 
tell  Jesus  of  his  death,  the  report  of  the  works  of  Jesus  came  to 
Herod,  mingled  with  all  sorts  of  alarming  conjectures.  "  He  was 
perplexed,  because  it  was  said  of  some  that  John  was  risen  from  the 
dead;  and  of  some,  that  Eiias  laid  appeared ;  and  of  others,  that 
one  of  the  old  prophets  was  risen  again."  The  agony  of  doubt  in  his 
guilty  conscience  is  well  marked  by  one  of  those  slight  variations 
which  best  show  the  genuineness  of  the  Gospels.  He  tries  to  stifle 
his  fears,  which  would  not  lie  kept  down  :  '■'■John  have  I  beheaded, 
but  who  is  this  of  whom  I  hear  such  things?"  But  the  convic- 
tion forced  itself  upon  him,  nor  could  he  help  betraying  it  to  his 
courtiers,  "It  is  John,  whom  I  beheaded — he  is  risen  from  the 
dead."  With  what  exact  purpose  "  he  desired  to  see  him"  (Luke 
ix.  9)  he  perhaps  scarcely  knew  himself;  but  when  that  desire  was 
gratified,  about  a  year  later,  we  are  told  that  "  he  hoped  to  see  some 
miracle  done  of  him"  (Luke  ix.  8)  ;  and,  being  disappointed,  he 
joined  with  Pilate  to  condemn  him.  Never  was  there  a  more 
pitiable  or  more  awful  example  of  the  sin  to  which  weak  self-indul- 
gence leads  than  in  this  popular  prince,  who  brought  upon  his  own 
head  the  blood  of  the  last  prophet  of  the  Old  Covenant  and  the 
founder  of  the  New,  though  he  was  "exceeding  sorry"  to  kill 
John,  and  "exceeding  glad  to  see  Jesus."  Such  is  the  contrast 
between  feeling  and  principle. 

Meanwhile  the  desire  of  Herod  to  see  Jesus  added  force  to  the 
warning  given  by  John's  fate.      Our  Lord  would  neither  incur  dan- 

11  Joeephus  places  the  imprisonment  of  John  at  Machaerus  in  Persea,  a 
fortress  famous  in  the  history  of  the  Asmonaeans  and  of  Herod. 


264 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  XXIII. 


ger  before  his  time,  nor  gratify  the  king's  curiosity  ;  and  he  seems 
to  have  had  another  motive  for  retirement,  in  the  elation  of  his  dis- 
ciples at  their  success.  So  he  withdrew  with  them  by  ship  into  a 
lonely  place.  But  the  people,  who  saw  his  departure,  hastened  on 
foot  from  all  the  cities  round  the  lake  ;  and  soon  the  multitudes  not 
only  left  him  and  the  disciples  no  time  even  to  eat,  but  began  to 
be  in  want  of  food  themselves  (Matt.  xiv.  13-15;  Mark  vi.  30-36  ; 
Luke  ix.  10-12  ;  John  vi.  1-5). 

At  this  point  the  Gospel  of  John  connects  itself  once  more  with 
the  other  three  ;  and  we  obtain  from  it  the  note  of  time  which  has 
been  long  wanting.  "The  Passover,  a  feast  of  the  Jews,  was 
nigh."  This  must,  in  all  probability,  be  reckoned  as  the  Third 
Passover  during  our  Lord's  ministry  ;  for,  even  if  the  "feast  of  the 
Jews"  in  John  v.  be  not  the  Passover,  the  intervention  of  a  second 
Passover  is  implied  in  the  scene  where  the  disciples  plucked  and 
ate  the  ears  of  corn.  The  reason  given  by  John12  for  Christ's  ab- 
sence from  this  Passover  is  rendered  the  more  cogent  from  what  wo 
have  seen  of  Herod's  state  of  mind ;  and  there  seems  every  reason 
to  believe  that  our  Lord's  presence  at  Jerusalem  would  have  brought 
on  that  very  conjuncture  of  Herod,  Pilate,  and  the  Jewish  rulers, 
which  occurred  a  year  later,  when  Ms  time  was  come.  The  season 
gives  a  double  significance  to  the  miracle  by  which  Christ  fed  the 
people  in  the  desert,  while  their  brethren  at  Jerusalem  were  eating 
the  unleavened  bread  of  human  manufacture  (Matt.  xiv.  16-21 ; 
Mark  vi.  37-44  ;  Luke  ix.  13-17;  John  vi.  5-13),  and  also  to  the 
subsequent  discourse  in  which  Jesus  revealed  himself  as  the  true 
Bread  of  Life  that  had  come  down  from  heaven  (John  vi.  22-71). 

How  marked  an  epoch  in  our  Saviour's  ministry  is  formed  by 
this  completion  of  its  Second  Year  will  be  seen  in  the  following 
chapter. 


NOTE  ON  THE  PARABLES  OF  CHRIST. 


The  word  Parable  (7rapa/3oX//)  does 
not  of  itself  imply  a  narrative.  The 
juxtaposition  of  two  things,  differing 
in  most  points,  but  agreeing  in  some, 
is  sufficient  to  bring  the  comparison 
thus  produced  within  the  etymology 
of  the  word.  The  corresponding  He- 
brew word  (^similitude)  had  a  large 
range  of  application,  and  was  applied 
sometimes  to  the  shortest  proverbs 


(1  Sam.  x.  12  ;  xxiv.  13 ;  2  Chr.  vii.  20), 
sometimes  to  dark  prophetic  utter- 
ances (Num.  xxiii. 7, 18;  xxiv. 3 ;  Ezek. 
xx.  49  ;  sometimes  to  enigmatic  max- 
ims  (Psa.  lxxviii.  2  ;  Prov.  i.  6),  or 
metaphors  expanded  into  a  narrative 
(Ezek.  xii.  22).  In  theNew  Testament 
itself  the  word  is  used  with  a  like  lati- 
tude. While  attached  most  frequent- 
ly to  the  illustrations  which  have  giv- 


12  John  vii.  1.  "  After  these  things  Jesus  walked  in  Galilee  :  for  he  would 
not  walk  in  Jewry,  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him." 


A.D.  28,  29. 


PARABLES. 


265 


en  it  a  special  meaning,  it  is  also  ap- 
plied to  a  short  saying  like  "  Physi- 
cian, heal  thyself"  (Luke  iv.  23),  to  a 
mere  comparison  without  a  narrative 
(Matt.  xxiv.  32),  to  the  figurative  char- 
acter of  the  Levitical  ordinances  (Heb. 
ix.  9),  or  of  single  facts  in  patriarchal 
history  (Ileb.  xi.  19). 

From  the  time  indicated  by  Matt, 
xiii.,  parables  enter  largely  into  our 
Lord's  teaching.  Each  parable  of 
those  which  we  read  in  the  Gospels 
may  have  been  repeated  more  than 
once  with  greater  or  less  variation  (as 
e.  g.,  those  of  the  Pounds  and  the  Tal- 
ents, Matt.  xxv.  14;  Luke  xix.  12  ;  of 
the  Supper,  in  Matt.  xxii.  2,  and  Luke 
xiv.  1G).  Every  thing  leads  us  to  be- 
lieve that  there  were  many  others  of 
which  we  have  no  record  (Matt.  xiii. 
34  ;  Mark  iv.  33).  In  those  which  re- 
main it  is  possible  to  trace  something 
like  an  order. 

(A.)  There  is  the  group  with  which 
the  new  mode  of  teaching  is  ushered 
in,  and  which  have  for  their  subject 
the  laws  of  the  Divine  kingdom,  in  its 
growth,  its  nature,  its  consummation. 
Under  this  head  we  have  : 

1.  The  Sower   (Matt.  xiii. ;    Mark 

iv. ;  Luke  viii.). 

2.  The  Wheat  and  the  Tares  (Matt. 

xiii.). 

3.  The  Mustard-seed   (Matt.  xiii.  ; 

Mark  iv.). 

4.  The  Seed  cast  into  the  Ground 

(Mark  iv.). 

5.  The  Leaven  (Matt.  xiii.). 

6.  The  Hid  Treasure  (Matt.  xiii.). 

7.  The  Pearl  of  Great  Price  (Matt. 

xiii.). 

8.  The  Net  cast  into  the  Sea  (Matt. 

xiii.). 
(B.)  The  next  parables  are  of  a  dif- 
ferent type  and  occupy  a  different 
position.  They  occur  chiefly  in  the 
interval  between  the  mission  of  the 
Seventy  and  the  last  approach  to  Je- 
rusalem. They  are  drawn  from  the 
life  of  men  rather  than  from  the  world 
of  nature.  Often  they  occur,  not  as  in 
Matt.  xiii.  in  discourses  to  the  multi- 


tude, bnt  in  answers  to  the  questions 
of  the  disciples  or  other  inquirers- 
They  are  such  as  these : 

9.  The  Two  Debtors  (Luke  vii.). 

10.  The  Merciless   Servant   (Matt 

xviii.). 

11.  The  Good  Samaritan  (Luke  x.). 

12.  The  Friend  at  Midnight  (Luke 

xi.). 

13.  The  Rich  Fool  (Luke  xii.). 

14.  The  Wedding-feast  (Luke  xii.). 

15.  The  Fig-tree  (Luke  xiii.). 

10.  The  Great  Supper  (Luke  xiv.). 
17.  The  Lost  Sheep   (Matt,  xviii. ; 

Luke  xv.). 
IS.  The  Lost  Piece  of  Money  (Luke 

xv.). 

19.  The  Prodigal  Son  (Luke  xv.). 

20.  The  Unjust  Steward  (Lukexvi.). 

21.  The   Rich    Man    and   Lazarus 

(Luke  xvi.). 

22.  The  Unjust  Judge  (Luke  xviii.). 

23.  The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican 

(Luke  xviii.). 

24.  The  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard 

(Matt.  xx.). 
(C.)  Towards  the  close  of  our  Lord's 
ministry,  immediately  before  and  af- 
ter the  entry  into  Jerusalem,  the  para- 
bles assume  a  new  character.  They 
are  again  theocratic,  but  the  phase  of 
the  Divine  kingdom  on  which  they 
chiefly  dwell  is  that  of  its  final  con- 
summation. They  are  prophetic,  in 
part,  of  the  rejection  of  Israel;  in 
part  of  the  great  retribution  of  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  They  are  to  the 
earlier  parables  what  the  prophecy 
of  Matt.  xxiv.  is  to  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount.  To  this  class  we  maj 
refer : 

25.  The  Pounds  (Luke  xix.). 

26.  The  Two  Sons  (Matt.  xxi.). 

27.  The  Vineyard  let  out  to  Has 
bandmeu  (Matt.  xxi. ;  Mark 
xii. ;  Luke  xx.). 

28.  TheMarriage-feast (Matt.  xxii.). 

29.  The  Wise  and  Foolish  Virgins 
(Matt.  xxv.). 

30.  The  Talents  (Matt.  xxv.). 

31.  The  Sheep  and  the  Goats  (Matt 

XXV.). 


betha; 


n  y. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  THIRD  YEAR  OF  CHRIST  S  MINISTRY. FROM  THE  THIRD  TO  THE 

FOURTH   AND   LAST  PASSOVER. — A.D.  29,  30. 

For  the  third  time  we  obtain  from  the  Gospel  of  John  alone  a 
note  of  the  return  of  another  sacred  year  (John  vi.  4),  from  the  very 
beginning  of  which  we  trace  signs  of  the  coming  end.  It  is  very 
affecting  to  observe  how,  the  more  Christ  multiplied  miracles  be- 
fore his  Galilean  followers,  the  farther  were  they  from  receiving  his 
spiritual  teaching.  The  personal  benefits  they  had  now  so  long 
been  in  the  habit  of  receiving  came  to  be  every  thing  to  them  ;  and 
the  witness  which  the  works  bore  to  Christ  was  only  valued  as  ex- 
citing selfish  hopes  in  them.  It  was  to  see  and  to  profit  by  more 
miracles  that  they  ran  after  him  round  the  lake ;  and  this  last 
wonder  of  his  feeding  five  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  chil- 
dren, with  five  barley-loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  leaving  twelve 
basket  of  fragments  to  be  gathered  up,  while  it  convinced  them  that 
he  was   the  prophet  predicted  by  Moses  (Deut.  xviii.  15),  excited1 


A.D.  29, 30.         OFFER  OF  THE  KINGDOM.  2G7 

proud  hopes  of  independence  instead  of  humble  faith  in  I.im,  and 
they  were  ready  to  "  take  him  by  force  and  make  him  king"  (John 
vi.  14).  On  this  first  mention  of  such  a  design,  we  may  well  con- 
sider what  it  involved.  It  was  no  offer  of  a  peaceful  succession, 
made  by  a  united  people.  With  Judaja  governed  by  a  Roman 
procurator,  and  Galilee  held  by  Herod  at  the  pleasure  of  the  em- 
peror— with  factions  among  the  Jews  themselves  ready  to  support 
the  Idumajan  dynasty,  end  even  to  cry  out,  "  We  have  no  king  but 
^a?sar*' — his  consent  would  have  been  the  signal  for  a  war  such  as 
ourst  out  under  Nero.  And  here  we  may  doubtless  see  one  of 
those  occasions  on  which  Jesus  himself  was  tempted,  though  with- 
out sin.  The  people  of  Galilee  repeated  the  offer  which  Satan  had 
made  on  the  Mount  of  Temptation  ;  and  that  there  was  a  real  con- 
flict in  our  Saviour's  mind,  is  proved  by  his  departing  alone  into  a 
mountain  to  pray.  But  first,  while  he  sent  away  the  people,  the 
disciples,  who,  we  may  be  quite  sure,  were  ready  to  take  part  with 
them,  were  directed,  not  without  great  reluctance,  to  recross  the 
lake  into  Galilee  to  Bethsaida. 

As  the  night  fell,  Jesus  watched  the  lonely  vessel  tossed  about  by 
the  waves  and  adverse  wind,  an  emblem  of  the  love  and  vigilance 
which  attends  his  people  in  the  voyage  of  life.  It  was  only  in  the 
fourth  watch  of  the  night  that  he  came  to  them,  walking  on  the 
waves  ;  and  even  then  he  made  as  though  he  would  have  passed 
them  ;  but  their  cry  of  fresh  terror  at  the  supposed  apparition  was 
answered  by  the  cheering  announcement  of  his  presence.  Then 
presumption  succeeded  to  despair;  and  Peter,  the  representative 
of  this  feeling  among  the  apostles,  was  saved  by  Jesus  from  perish- 
ing in  the  waves,  on  which  he  had  had  the  rashness,  but  not  the 
faith,  to  walk.  As  soon  as  Jesus  was  received  by  the  disciples  into 
the  ship,  its  voyage  came  to  an  end  at  "the  land  of  Gennesaret," 
the  fertile  plain  upon  the  western  shore,  which  gave  to  the  lake  one 
of  its  names,  and  in  which  Capernaum  stood  (Matt.  xiv.  13-2G ; 
Mark  vi.  32-56 ;  Luke  ix.  10-14;  John  vi.  1-21). 

The  wonted  crowds  that  flocked  to  Jescs,  as  soon  as  they  heard 
of  iiis  landing,  bringing  their  sick  and  afflicted  for  him  to  heal,  were 
swollen  by  the  multitudes  who  returned  from  the  other  side  in  boats, 
and,  wondering,  asked  him  how  he  had  recrossed  the  lake.  Not- 
withstanding what  they  had  just  seen,  they  asked  for  some  new  sign 
to  match  that  of  the  manna  in  the  wilderness ;  and,  in  reply,  lie 
taught  them  that  spiritual  life  can  only  be  received  by  spiritually 
eating  his  flesh  and  drinking  his  blood.  At  this  "hard  saying" 
defection  began  among  his  disciples  ;  and  when  he  added  that  there 
were  unbelievers  among  them,  many  finally  forsook  him  ;  and  he 
asked  the  Twelve,  "Will  ye  also  go  away?"     Firm  and  full  as  was 


268  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIV. 

Peter's  profession  of  their  faith  in  him,  he  gave  even  to  them  the 
warning,  "Have  I  not  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  devil? 
He  spake  of  Judas  Iscariot,"  whose  coming  treason  is  now  first 
distinctly  mentioned  (John  vi.  22-71). 

"After  these  things  Jesus  walked  in  Galilee:  for  he  would  not 
walk  in  Jewry  (Judasa),  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him  "  (John 
vii.  1).  These  words  imply  that  a  new  conspiracy  against  Jesus 
was  formed  by  the  rulers  at  this  Passover,  for  which  reason  he  re- 
mained in  Galilee  six  months  longer,  till  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
Disappointed  by  his  absence,  more  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
went  to  meet  him  on  his  own  ground  ;  and  their  fault-finding  gave 
him  the  opportunity  of  denouncing  the  vain  traditions  by  which 
they  annulled  the  spirit  of  the  law,  while  adding  to  its  burdensome 
obligations  (Matt.  xv.  1-20;  Mark  vii.  1-23).  But  they  had  prob- 
ably another  object  besides  controversy,  to  stir  up  Herod  against 
Jesus,  who  therefore  withdrew  for  a  time  out  of  Herod's  jurisdiction, 
first  into  the  region  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  afterwards  to  the  De- 
capolis.  His  stay  in  Phoenicia  was  marked  by  that  condescension 
to  the  prayer  of  the  Syro-Phcenician  woman  (a  native  of  the  coun- 
try, but  of  Greek  extraction,  the  counterpart  to  the  woman  of  Sarepta 
in  the  time  of  Elijah),  which  was  the  first  case  of  his  performing  a 
miracle  for,  and  recognizing  the  faith  of,  an  actual  heathen  (Matt. 
xv.  21-28  ;  Mark  vii.  24-30).  Passing  round  the  north  side  of  the 
Lake  of  Galilee  to  the  Decapolis  (the  district  of  the  "  Ten  Cities" 
which  the  Romans  had  rebuilt),  Jesus  healed  a  deaf  and  dumb  man, 
with  many  others,  and  repeated  the  miracle  of  feeding  the  multi- 
tudes that  followed  him — 4000  men,  besides  women  and  children — • 
with  seven  loaves  and  a  few  small  fishes,  seven  basketfuls  of  frag- 
ments being  taken  up  (Matt.  xv.  29-38  ;  Mark  vii.  37  ;  viii.  9). 
Crossing  the  lake  to  Magdala  (or  rather  Magadan),  in  the  district 
of  Dalmanutha,  he  again  encountered  the  Pharisees,  this  time  in 
league  with  the  Sadducees  and  Herodians,  whose  demand  for  a  sign 
he  answered  by  refusing  them  any  but  what  he  had  named  before, 
"  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas  "  (Matt.  xv.  39 ;  xvi.  1-4 ;  Mark  viii. 
10-12).  After  they  had  departed,  Jesus  crossed  the  lake  with  his 
disciples,  and,  recurring  to  the  conversation  they  had  just  heard, 
warned  them  to  "  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  of  the 
leaven  of  Herod."  So  little,  however,  were  the  disciples  prepared 
for  this,  that  they  mistook  it  for  a  reproof  for  having  brought  only 
one  loaf  with  them  !  They  had  forgotten  the  five  thousand  and 
the  four  thousand,  or  they  would  have  known  that,  where  he  was, 
natural  bread  could  not  fail  them.  He  meant  by  this  leaven  the 
doctrine  of  the  Pharisees,  and  of  the  Sadducees  (Matt.  xvi.  4-12; 
Mark  viii.  13-21) — of  those  who,  under  the  show  of  superior  enlight- 


A.D.  29,  30.  CHRIST  IN  PHCENICf  A.  269 

enment,  removed  the  foundations  of  the  fear  of  God  by  denying  a 
future  state.  He  used  tlie  same  figure  on  another  occasion,  ex- 
plaining that  by  "the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees'"  he  meant  hypocrisy 
(Luke  xii.  1);  that  of  the  Sadducees  and  Herodians  was  an  ungod- 
ly worldly  policy. 

From  the  eastern  side  of  the  Lake  of  Tiberias,  Jesus  went  with 
his  disciples  up  the  course  of  the  Jordan,  staying  at  Bethsaida, 
where  he  healed  a  blind  man  (Mark  viii.  22-26),  to  Cassarea  Philip- 
pi,  near  the  sources  of  the  river.  This  city,  at  the  very  extremity 
of  the  Holy  Land,  marking  the  northmost  limit  of  our  Saviour's  trav- 
els, was  the  scene  of  some  of  the  most  memorable  events  in  his 
course — events  that  were  designed  to  prepare  the  disciples  for  the 
consummation  now  rapidly  approaching.  Here  it  was  that  his  ques- 
tions testing  their  faith  and  knowledge  concerning  himself  drew  forth 
Peter's  memorable  confession,  "Thou  art  the  Christ, the  Son  of 
the  living  God."  Jesus  replied  that  this  had  been  revealed  from 
no  human  source,  but  by  his  Father  in  heaven,  to  the  disciple  whose 
very  name  of  Peter  was  the  symbol  of  the  stability  and  triumph  of 
his  Church  :  "  Upon  this  Rock"  (not  Peter,  but  Christ  himself) 
"  will  I  build  my  Church  ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  (Hades)  " — that  is, 
the  powers  of  destruction — "shall  not  prevail  against  it"  (Matt. 
xvi.  13-20;  Mark  viii.  27-30;  Luke  ix.  18-21  :  comp.  Acts  iv.  11, 
12;  1  Cor.  iii.  11  ;  Eph.  ii.  20  ;  1  Peter  ii.  .r» ;  Rev.  xxi.  14).  To 
the  apostle  who  had  confessed  this  truth  Christ  went  on  to  grant 
the  first  place  in  the  work  of  building  up  the  Church.  The  sense 
in  which  lie  received  "  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven" — the  of- 
fice of  opening  its  door — was  seen  when,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
Peter  was  the  first  to  admit  a  multitude  of  the  believing  Jews,  and 
afterwards,  in  the  house  of  Cornelius,  a  number  of  Gentile  proselytes, 
into  the  Christian  Church.  But  he  did  both  as  the  organ  of  the  oth- 
er apostles,  for  to  them  Christ  afterwards  gave  the  same  privilege 
that  he  now  gave  to  Peter  (see  Matt,  xviii.  18;  John  xx.  23:  Acts 
ii.  x.).  And  now,  after  commanding  his  disciples  not  yet  to  di- 
vulge the  truth  they  had  confessed,  he  reveals  to  them  the  greater 
mystery  of  his  death  and  resurrection,  and  the  necessity  of  his  going 
forward  to  its  accomplishment — "that  he  must  go  into  Jerusalem," 
etc.  The  rash  zeal  with  which  the  very  apostle,  whose  faith  had 
just  earned  such  a  blessing,  dared  to  protest  against  the  decrees  of 
Heaven,  was  sternly  rebuked  as  a  temptation  of  the  devil,1  and  the 

1  The  passage  must  be  explained  by  the  well-known  figure  of  speech  call- 
ed apostrophe.  In  the  words  of  Peter  our  Lord  recognized  one  of  the  very 
temptations  with  which  he  was  assailed  iu  the  wilderness  by  Satan,  and /or 
him  were  really  meant  the  words  which  seemed  addressed  to  Peter—"  Get 
thee  behind  me,  Satau  !" 


270  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIV. 

apostles  were  warned  against  the  like  temptations  to  deny  their 
Lord,  in  some  of  the  most  solemn  and  awful  words  that  ever  fell 
from  his  lips  (Matt.  xvi.  21-28  ;  Mark  viii.  31-ix.  1 ;  Luke  ix. 
22-27). 

Having  thus  received  a  foretaste  of  "the  sufferings  of  Christ," 
the  minds  of  the  disciples  were  soon  relieved  by  a  glimpse  of  "  the 
glory  that  should  follow."  Just  a  week  after  the  above  discourse, 
Jesus  took  with  him  Peter,  James,  and  John,  the  three  disci  pies 
who  were  also  to  be  the  witnesses  of  his  agony  at  Gethsemane,  to 
behold  a  vision  of  his  heavenly  glory.  The  scene  is  traditionally 
identified  with  Mount  Tabor,  but  this  can  not  have  been  the  place. 
All  we  can  infer  from  the  Gospel  narrative  is  that  it  was  a  high 
mountain  near  to  Cassarea  Philippi,  perhaps  one  of  the  lower  sum- 
mits of  Hermon.  As  he  prayed,  his  face  and  raiment  were  trans- 
figured to  the  same  glorious  majesty  and  brilliant  whiteness  in 
which  he  appeared  to  John  long  afterwards  at  Patmos.  With  him 
were  seen  in  glory  Moses  and  Elijah,  the  lawgiver  and  reformer  of 
the  Old  Covenant;  and  their  converse  with  him  concerning  "his 
decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem  "  showed  to  the 
disciples  the  harmony  of  the  Law  and  the  Prophets  with  the  Gos- 
pel in  regarding  Christ's  sufferings  as  the  prelude  to  his  glory;  and 
that  that  glory  would  be  shared  by  his  followers  was  intimated  by 
the  glory  in  which  Moses  and  Elijah  themselves  appeared.  Nor 
was  there  wanting  a  sensible  proof  of  the  presence  of  God  the  Fa- 
ther; but  instead  of  the  "blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tempest," 
amidst  which  God  had  revealed  himself  both  to  Moses  and  Elijah 
upon  Mount  Sinai,  it  was  a  bright  clovd  out  of  which  a  voice  came, 
saying,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  arn  well  pleased  ;  hear 
ye  him."  The  disciples,  who  had  given  way.  while  the  Master  was 
praying,  to  a  supernatural  drowsiness,  like  that  which  overcame 
them  at  Gethsemane,  awoke  just  in  time  for  Peter  to  express  the 
fond  desire  to  remain  amidst  such  bliss,  when  the  voice  was  heard 
from  the  cloud,  the  vision  vanished,  and  they  were  left  alone  with 
Jesus.  As  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  he  charged  them 
not  to  tell  what  they  had  seen  till  after  his  resurrection  ;  and  he  ex- 
plained, in  reply  to  their  inquiries  about  the  coming  of  Elijah  before 
the  Messiah,  that  Elijah  had  already  come  in  the  person  of  John  the 
Baptist,  and  had  been  persecuted  by  those  very  scribes  who  had 
taught  men  to  expect  him,  and  that  so  the  Son  of  Man  would  also 
Buffer  (Matt.  xvii.  1-13;  Mark  ix.  2-13  ;  Luke  ix.  28-36). 

Meanwhile  the  remaining  apostles  had  attempted  to  heal  a  fright- 
ful case  of  demoniacal  possession  ;  and  their  failure  had  subjected 
them  to  the  scornful  objections  of  the  scribes,  and  the  unbelief  of 
the  people.     After  rebuking  that  unbelief,  and  bringing  the  father 


A.D.29,30  THE  TRANSFIGURATION.  271 

of  the  sufferer,  who  had  expressed  it,  to  cry  with  tears,  "Lord,  I  be- 
lieve :  help  thou  mine  unbelief,"  Jesus  cast  out  the  furious  demon  ; 
and  then  told  his  disciples,  in  private,  the  secret  of  their  failure  be- 
cause of  their  unbelief,  and  the  unbounded  power  of  faith:  "This 
kind  goeth  not  out  but  by  prayer  and  fasting"  (Matt.  xvii.  14-21 ; 
Mark  ix.  14-29;  Luke  ix.  37-43). 

Jesus  now  returned  with  the  Twelve,  for  the  last  time,  to  the  shores 
of  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  At  Capernaum  he  released  Peter  by  a 
miracle  from  his  difficulty  about  the  tribute-money,  the  "  didraclim," 
which  corresponds  in  value  to  the  half-shekel,  and  seems  therefore 
to  have  been  the  poll-tax  of  that  amount,  which  was  paid  for  the 
temple-service.  The  piece  of  money,  a  "stater,"  which  Peter 
found  in  the  fish's  mouth  was  equal  to  a  shekel,  and  therefore  the 
precise  amount  of  the  tax  for  his  Master  and  himself.  The  ex- 
emption which  Jesus  claimed,  though  he  waived  it  lest  he  should 
offend  the  Jews,  may  be  regarded  as  an  assertion  of  his  divinity. 
(Matt,  xvii.  21-28). 

From  the  great  lessons  they  had  lately  received,  the  apostles  seem 
as  yet  to  have  derived  only  a  vague  idea  that  their  Master's  king- 
dom was  at  hand,  and  that  they  must  not  lose  its  advantages  to 
themselves.  The  contest  which  arose  among  them  for  precedence 
gave  an  occasion  for  our  Saviour's  teaching,  by  the  pattern  of  a  lit- 
tle child  whom  he  set  in  the  midst  of  them,  the  great  lessons  of  hu- 
mility, brotherly  love,  forgiveness  and  forbearance  ;  to  which  he 
added  that  of  reverent  regard  for  children,  just  because  they  hold 
out  to  us  an  example  of  the  state  of  innocence  from  which  we  have 
fallen,  and  which  must  be  regained,  by  repentance  and  conversion, 
before  we  can  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  thus  the  last 
lesson  which  our  Lord  taught  in  Galilee  re-echoes  the  first  with 
which  he  opened  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Indeed,  the  whole 
discourse,  which  is  reported  most  fully  by  St.  Matthew,  forms  a 
most  impressive  climax  to  the  teaching  which  was  so  begun. 
Christ's  own  example,  in  coming  to  seek  and  save  the  lost,  is  held 
forth  as  the  great  motive  to  compassionate  love  and  mutual  forgive- 
ness. The  power  of  binding  and  loosing  is  now  extended  to  all  the 
apostles;  his  presence  is  promised  in  all  their  assemblies;  and  his 
Father's  answer  to  all  their  prayers.  Once  more  the  solemn  warn- 
ing is  repeated,  concerning  resistance  to  sin  and  decision  between 
the  Master  and  the  world  ;  and  the  note  of  future  judgment,  already 
struck  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  concludes  the  whole,  but  for 
the  gentle  final  words  recorded  by  St.  Mark :  "Have  peace  one 
with  another  "  (Matt,  xviii.  ;  Mark  ix.  33-50 ;  Luke  ix.  46-50). 
At  this  point  the  first  two  Evangelists  again  omit  a  visit  to  Jerusa- 
lem, with  other  incidents  of  the  highest  importance,  which  are  re- 


272  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIV. 

corded  by  Luke  and  John.  Our  Lord's  work  in  Galilee  was  done; 
it  remained  to  give  the  Jews  of  Juda;a  one  more  opportunity  for  re- 
pentance and  faith. 

The  approaching  Feast  of  Tabernacles  invited  him  to  Jerusalem  ; 
and  his  only  half-believing  brethren  challenged  him — with  the 
rough  candor  of  family  advisers — to  leave  the  comparative  secrecy 
of  Galilee  and  show  his  works  openly  to  his  disciples  in  Judsea. 
Rebuking  their  impatience  with  the  answer  that  "His  time  was 
not  yet  come,"  he  bade  them  go  up  to  the  feast  without  him.  He 
remained  in  Galilee  for  some  days,  and  then  went  up  "as  it  were 
in  secret"  (John  vii.  2-10).  This  secrecy  seems  to  refer  to  his 
travelling  through  Samaria,  rather  than  by  way  of  Pera^a,  perhaps 
to  disconcert  a  plot  against  his  life.  The  choice  of  this  route,  also, 
gave  one  more  day  of  grace  to  the  Samaritans  ;  but  for  the  most 
part  in  vain,  as  we  see  in  the  case  of  the  first  villages,  to  which 
Christ  sent  forward  messengers,  but  the  people  would  not  receive 
him,  as  he  was  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  The  sons  of  Zebcdee, 
who  would  have  called  down  fire  from  heaven,  as  Elijah  did,  to 
punish  the  insult,  were  checked  by  the  rebuke:  "Ye  know  not 
what  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the  Son  of  Man  is  not  come 
to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them"  (Luke  ix.  51-56).  To 
various  persons  who  met  him,  offering  to  become  his  disciples,  but 
pleading  some  excuse  for  delay,  he  taught  the  necessity  of  leaving 
all,  to  follow  him  (Luke  ix.  57-62).  During  his  progress  through 
Samaria,  he  sent  forth  Seventy  Disciples,  two  and  two,  to  go  before 
him,  preaching  the  Gospel  in  every  place  that  he  designed  to  visit. 
This  differed  in  several  points  from  the  previous  commission  of  the 
apostles.  The  number  of  the  Seventy,  and  the  scene  of  their  mis- 
sion, Samaria,  alike  indicated  that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  to  the  heathen  ;  whereas  the  number  of  the  apostles 
corresponded  to  the  Twelve  Tribes  of  Israel,  to  whom  their  commis- 
sion also  restricted  them  ;  nor  had  the  Seventy  received  the  special 
training  of  the  Twelve.  Some  have  also  seen  a  significance  in  the 
sending  forth  of  the  Twelve  at  the  season  of  the  Passover,  the  be- 
ginning of  the  harvest,  and  of  the  Seventy  at  the  time  of  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles,  the  end  of  all  the  labors  of  the  year.  In  other  re- 
spects, their  instructions  were  the  same ;  and  they  may  be  regard- 
ed  as,  in  spirit,  those  which  should  ever  guide  Christ's  ministers 
(Luke  x.  1-16). 

Meanwhile  his  movements  and  character  were  the  great  subject 
of  discussion  at  Jerusalem.  While  all  were  asking,  "Where  is 
he?"  some  said,  "He  is  a  good  man;"  others,  "Nay,  but  he  de- 
ceiveth  the  people."  But  all  spoke  privately,  for  fear  of  the  rulers. 
It  was  about  the  middle  of  the  feast  when  he  appeared,  teaching  in 


A.D.  29, 30.         FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.  273 

the  temple.  To  the  expressions  of  wonder  at  the  learning  shown 
bv  a  Galilean  peasant,  he  replied  by  declaring  his  doctrine  to  be  not 
his  own,  but  His  that  sent  him,  promising,  too,  that  whoever  desired 
to  do  God's  will  should  be  taught  these  truths.  He  denounced  the 
conspiracy  against  his  life  on  the  old  charge  of  having  broken  the 
Sabbath  by  the  miracle  performed  on  his  previous  visit  to  Jerusa- 
lem. His  boldness  and  impunity  raised  the  question,  whether  the 
rulers  knew  that  he  was  indeed  the  Christ;  but  still  the  people 
were  perplexed  by  his  humble  and  apparently  well-known  origin, 
30  opposed  to  the  mystery  with  which  they  expected  the  Christ  to 
come  :  "  We  know  whence  this  man  is  ;  but,  when  Christ  cometh, 
no  man  knoweth  whence  he  is."  Jesus  corrected  the  error,  and  his 
miracles  convinced  many,  who  argued,  "When  Christ  cometh,  will 
he  do  more  miracles  than  these  which  this  man  hath  done?" 
Alarmed  at  these  signs,  the  Pharisees  and  priests  hesitated  to  lay 
hands  on  him,  for  fear  of  the  people. 

As  they  watched  their  opportunity,  Jesus  continued  to  discourse 
in  language  more  and  more  perplexing  to  his  adversaries,  till,  on 
the  last  and  greatest  day  of  the  feast,  when  the  ceremony  was  per- 
formed of  fetching  water  from  the  well  of  Siloam,  and  pouring  it  on 
the  altar,  while  the  priests  sang  the  words,  "  With  joy  shall  ye  draw 
water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation,"  He  proclaimed  himself  the  giver 
of  the  Water  of  Life,  meaning  thereby  the  Holy  Spirit.  Upon  this 
the  controversy  among  the  people  grew  warmer.  Some  said  that 
he  was  the  expected  prophet  ;  some  that  he  was  the  Christ ; 
while  others,  again,  objected  his  Galilean  origin,  pleading  that 
Christ  was  to  come  of  the  seed  of  David,  and  from  the  town  of 
Bethlehem.  His  more  vehement  opponents  wished  to  apprehend 
him,  but  neither  they  nor  the  officers  risked  the  attempt.  Nay, 
carried  away  themselves  by  the  power  of  his  teaching,  the  officers 
returned  to  their  employers  with  the  words,  "Never  man  spake 
like  this  man."  As  the  rulers  began  to  vent  curses  on  all  his  fol- 
lowers, Nicodemus,  the  secret  disciple,  who  was  one  of  their  number, 
ventured  to  remind  them  that  the  law  forbade  the  condemning  of  a 
man  unheard  (Deut.  xix.  1G-19);  but  lie  only  brought  suspicion 
and  taunts  upon  himself  for  taking  the  part  of  a  Galilean.  This 
3ventful  day  was  concluded  by  the  dispersion  of  the  people  to  their 
homes,  while.  Jesus  retired  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  (John  vii.  1-viii. 
1).  The  remaining  deeds  of  our  Lord  on  this  visit  to  Jerusalem — 
including  probably  the  giving  sight  to  the  blind  man  on  the  Sab- 
bath by  the  healing  waters  of  Siloam — with  the  discourses  in  which 
he  exposed  the  blindness  of  the  Jews,  and  asserted  his  Messiahship 
and  divinity  more  plainly  than  ever— together  with  his  parable  of 
himself  as  the  Good  Shepherd  who  lays  down  his  life  for  his  sheep 

s 


274  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIV. 

—all  this  is  related  by  St.  John  too  fully  to  bear  or  need  repetition. 
The  climax  of  angry  unbelief  was  reached  when,  on  his  assertion, 
"  Before  Abraham  was,  I  AM"  (comp.  Exod.  iii.  14),  they  took  up 
stones  to  cast  at  him  ;  but  Jesus  hid  himself  and  went  out  of  the 
temple,  going  through  the  midst  of  them  "  (John  viii.,  ix.,  x.  1-21). 

From  these  transactions  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  St.  John 
passes  at  once  over  a  period  of  two  months,  of  which  more  will  be 
said  presently,  to  the  Feast  of  the  Dedication,  in  the  winter  (John 
x.  22 ;  comp.  p.  227)  ;  at  which,  as  Jesus  was  walking  in  the  portico 
of  the  temple,  named  after  Solomon  (comp.  Acts  iii.  11 ;  v.  12),  he 
was  pressed  by  the  Jews  to  relieve  them  from  all  doubt,  and  to  tell 
them  plainly  whether  he  was  the  Christ.  He  replied  by  reminding 
them  of  what  he  had  told  them  before,  and  of  the  works  he  had 
done ;  and,  recurring  to  the  parable  concerning  his  sheep,  he  ac- 
counts for  their  obstinate  unbelief  because  they  were  none  of  his, 
and  reasserts  more  plainly  than  ever  his  equality  with  the  Father. 
Once  more  they  took  up  stones,  to  stone  him  as  a  blasphemer;  but 
he  vindicated  his  claims  from  the  Scriptures  and  from  his  works; 
and  when  they  tried  to  take  him,  he  again  escaped,  and  retired  to 
Bethabara  beyond  the  Jordan,  the  place  where  John  had  baptized. 
There  he  remained  for  some  time,  and  many  were  led  to  believe  in 
him  by  comparing  his  miracles  with  John's  predictions  (John  x. 
22-42).  From  this  place  of  retirement  Jesus  was  summoned  to 
Bethany  by  the  tidings  of  the  illness  of  Lazarus ;  and,  after  raising 
him  from  the  dead,  our  Lord  again  retired  to  "  a  country  near  the 
wilderness,  to  a  city  called  Ephraim,"  where  he  remained  with  his 
disciples  till  the  approach  of  his  last,  Passover  (John  xi.  54,  55). 
Six  days  before  the  I'assover,  he  is  again  at  Bethany  ;  and  here 
the  narrative  of  St.  John  falls  in  again  with  the  other  three  Gospels 
(John  xii.  1 ;  comp.  Matt.  xxi.  1  ;   Mark  xi.  1 ;  Luke  xix.  29). 

Now  these  brief  notices  by  St.  John  cover  a  period  of  about  six 
months — two  from  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  to  the  Feast  of  Dedica- 
tion, and  four  from  the  latter  to  the  Passover — concerning  which 
St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  arc  almost  silent;  but,  on  turning  to  St. 
Luke,  we  find  it  necessary  to  place  in  this  interval  that  large  section 
which  contains  some  of  the  most  striking  parables  and  most  impress- 
ive discourses  recorded  in  his  Gospel  (Luke  x.  17-xviii.  4). 

The  two  months  between  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  and  that  of  the 
Dedication  seem  to  have  been  spent  partly  in  Jerusalem  and  partly 
in  its  neighborhood,  especially  in  that  happy  home  at  Bethany,"  the 

2  The  position  of  Bethany  is  of  the  Greatest  importance  for  understanding 
the  sequel  of  our  Lord's  course.  It  was  situated  "at"  the  Mount  of  Olives 
(Mark  xi.  1 ;  Luke  xix.  29),  about  fifteen  stadia  (abont  two  miles)  from  Jeru- 
salem (John  xi.  IS),  ou  or  near  the  usual  road  from  Jericho  to  the  city  (Luke 


A.D.  29, 30.  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  275 

house  of  Lazarus,  and  his  sisters  Martha  and  Mary.  Even  here 
ti.ere  were  differences  of  character ;  but  Christ  knew  how  to  use  and 
improve  them.  The  zealous,  active  Martha,  who  seems  to  have  heen 
the  elder  sister,  was  the  first  to  receive  Jesus  into  the  house,  where 
her  gentler  sister  Mary  sat  at  his  feet  and  heard  his  word.  Busied 
with  the  cares  of  hospitality,  in  which  she  desired  to  show  such  a 
guest  unusual  honor,  Martha  appealed  to  Jesus  to  command  her 
sister's  help.  But  he  assured  her  that  all  her  anxiety  was  super- 
fluous, compared  to  the  one  thing,  which  alone  is  needful,  and  Mary 
had  chosen  that  good  part,  which  would  he  hers  forever,  when  all 
cares  about  the  body  should  have  ceased  (Luke  x.  38-42 ;  comp. 
John  xi.  1 ;  xii.  1-3;  Matt.  vi.  33;  John  xvii.  3;  Psa.  lxxiii.  24-26; 
John  iv.  14).  Though  Martha  needed  the  lesson,  as  she  afterwards 
needed  a  rebuke  to  that  impatience  which  often  goes  with  zeal  (John 
xi.  24,  foil.),  we  must  not  misunderstand  the  narrative,  as  if  she  were 
altogether  in  the  wrong.  Her  zeal  was  honored  in  its  turn ;  and 
she  had  an  equal  share  with  her  brother  and  sister  in  the  Lord's 
affection  (John  xi.  5,  20). 

The  highest  proof  of  this  affection  was  furnished  by  that  which  is 
at  the  same  time  the  greatest  of  our  Saviour's  miracles.  Driven, 
as  we  have  seen,  from  Jerusalem  by  renewed  plots  against  his  life 
at  the  Feast  of  the  Dedication,  he  retired  beyond  the  Jordan,  to  the 
place  where  John  first  baptized,  and  remained  there  for  some  time, 
receiving  many  new  disciples.  He  seems  to  have  been  still  at  Beth- 
abara,  when  he  received  tidings  of  what  he  knew  to  be  the  mortal  ill- 
ness of  his  beloved  friend  Lazarus.  It  would  be  folly  to  attempt  to 
relate,  in  other  words,  that  most  pathetic  of  all  the  records  that  hu- 
man language  has  ever  embodied.  Our  Lord  gave  the  crowning 
testimony  of  his  own  works  to  his  supreme  power  over  life  and 
death,  by  restoring  life  to  a  body  upon  which  corruption  had  laid 
its  hold ;  and  he  taught  the  full  significance  of  the  miracle  by  the 
words:  "I  am  the  Resukrection  and  the  Life:  he  that  be- 
lieveth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live  ;  and  whoso- 
ever liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die"  (John  xi.  1-44). 

The  miracle  was  witnessed  by  many  of  the  Jews,  who  had  come 
^ut  of  Jerusalem  to  Bethany  (the  distance  being  only  two  miles)  to 
console  the  bereaved  sisters.  Even  the  deep  distress  of  Jesus  ai 
his  friend's  death  had  given  some  of  them  occasion  to  utter  their 
unbelieving  cavils  ;  and,  while  some  were  convinced  by  the  miracle, 
others  went  away  to  give  information  to  the  Pharisees.  A  council 
was  at  once  summoned  ;  and  the  discordant  religious  views  of  the 
different  sects  were  overcome  by  the  common  alarm,  lest  Christ's  suc- 

xix.  20,  comp.  1 ;  Mark  xi.  1,  comp.  x.  46),  and  close  by  anott>er  »:lJsge  called 
Bethpnaire.  the  two  heing  several  times  mentioned  together. 


276  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIV. 

cess  should  provoke  the  jealousy  of  Rome,  and  bring  down  destruc- 
tion on  the  nation.  Caiaphas,  the  high-priest,  the  leader  of  the 
rulers,  took  up  the  argument  of  political  expediency,  and  proposed 
that  one  man  should  be  given  up  to  death  as  a  substitute  for  the 
whole  people.  These  words  expressed  a  meaning  far  deeper  than 
he  himself  understood  ;  and  his  suggestion  of  a  sacrifice  to  save  the 
roeople  from  the  anger  of  Caesar  was  in  fact  a  prophecy,  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  uttered  through  him  as  the  head  of  the  nation,  of  the 
atonement  which  the  death  of  Christ  should  make  for  the  sins  of  al! 
the  world  and  the  common  salvation  of  all  God's  people  (John  xi. 
47-52).  From  that  hour  the  death  of  Jesus  was  resolved  on  ;  and 
the  only  hindrance  to  its  accomplishment  was  God's  purpose  that 
the  sacrifice  should  be  offered  at  the  l'assover.  To  this  end  Jesus 
retired  to  Ephraim  in  the  wilderness,  and  remained  there  witli  his 
disciples.3  Thence  he  seems  to  have  withdrawn  beyond  the  Jor- 
dan, perhaps  to  place  himself  within  Herod's  jurisdiction  ;  for  he  was 
clearly  in  Rerrea  when  he  commenced  that  final  movement  towards 
Jerusalem,  which  forms  the  turning-point  in  the  narrative  of  St. 
Luke  (Luke  xiii.  22  ;  Matt.  xix.  1,  2). 

As  he  proceeded  leisurely  through  Peraea  towards  Jerusalem, 
teaching  in  the  villages  on  the  way,  he  was  warned  of  Herod's  de- 
signs on  his  life.  The  information  was  given  by  the  Pharisees, 
evidently  with  the  view  of  hastening  our  Lord's  return  within  their 
own  reach  —  "Get  thee  out,  and  depart  hence  :  for  Herod  will  kill 
thee" — and  his  answer  involved  a  keen  rebuke  of  their  treacherous 
affectation  of  regard  for  his  safety.  He  bids  them  go  themselves 
to  tell  Herod  that  his  time  was  indeed  at  hand,  but  that  his  course 
was  not  to  be  shortened  by  the  wiles  of  "  that  fox."  His  death  was 
to  be  accomplished  by  the  open  violence  of  his  own  countrymen  at 
Jerusalem,  where  all  the  former  prophets  had  been  slain,  "for  it 
can  not  be  that  a  prophet  perish  out  of  Jerusalem !"  And  then, 
apostrophizing  the  city,  to  which  his  face  was  now  turned,  he  ut- 
tered that  exquisitely  pathetic  lamentation,  which  he  afterwards  re- 
pented in  sight  of  its  walls  (Luke  xiii.  31-35  ;  comp.  Matt,  xxiii. 
37-39).  His  ministry  had  led  him  thither  at  least  four  times,  and 
this  visit  was  to  be  his  last,  the  last  of  any  prophet;  and  thence- 
forth the  place  which  God  had  chosen  for  His  house  would  be  left 
desolate,  and  they  should  see  him  no  more  till  the  day  when,  in  a 
sense  yet  to  be  accomplished,  they  should  say,  "Blessed  is  he  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  "  (comp.  Psa.  cxviii.  26). 

To  this  progress  through  Persea  should  probably  be  referred  those 

8  John  xi.  53,  54.  By  the  "wilderness"  is  probably  meant  the  wild  un- 
cultivated hill-country  north-east  of  Jerusalem,  lying  between  the  central 
towua  and  the  Jordan  valley. 


A.D.  29,  30.  LAST  JOURNEY  TO  JERUSALEM.      277 

most  impressive  parables  and  lessons  which  occupy  the  14th,  15th, 
16th,  17th,  and  18th  chapters  of  St.  Luke,  the  last  t\>w  of  which 
bring  this  Gospel  again  into  connection  with  those  of  Matthew  and 
Mark.  As  bearing  upon  the  course  of  our  Saviour's  history,  we 
must  especially  notice  the  warning  which  he  gives  his  disciples 
now  for  the  third  time,  and  in  greater  detail  than  before,  of  his 
passion,  death,  and  resurrection  (Matt.  xx.  17-19  ;  Mark  x.  32-34  ; 
Luke  xviii.  31-34)  ;  and  his  answer  to  the  ambitious  request  of  the 
sons  of  Zebedee,  which  taught  that  they  must  suffer  with  him  be- 
fore they  reigned  with  him  (Matt.  xx.  20-28  ;  Mark  x.  35-45). 

He  now  crossed  the  Jordan,  ami  advanced  towards  Jerusalem  by 
the  high-road  through  Jericho.  That  city  was  the  scene  of  the 
healing  of  two  blind  men,  who  saluted  Jesus  as  the  son  of  David,4 
and  of  the  conversion  of  the  publican  Zacclueus  (Luke  xix.  2-28). 
At  length,  while  the  Jews,  who  had  already  assembled  at  Jerusalem 
to  purify  themselves  before  the  Passover,  were  wondering  whether 
he  would  come,  and  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  had  commanded 
his  first  appearance  to  be  denounced  to  them,  that  he  might  be  ap- 
prehended, he  arrived  at  Bethany  six  days  before  the  Passover,  that 
is,  on  Friday  the  8th  of  Nisan,  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath  (John  xii. 
1).  The  Sabbath  was  spent  at  Bethany ;  and  to  the  evening  suc- 
ceeding it  we  should  probably  refer  (though  the  matter  has  been 
much  disputed)  the  supper  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  at 
which  Martha  served,  while  Lazarus  sat  at  table,  and  at  which  Mary 
anointed  Christ,  in  preparation  for  his  burial  (John  xii.  2-8  ;  Matt. 
xxvi.  1-1 G  ;  Mark  xiv.  1-11). 

His  presence  there  was  soon  known  at  Jerusalem,  and  many  of 
the  Jews  went  out  with  the  double  motive  of  seeing  Jesus,  and 
Lazarus  whom  he  had  raised  from  the  dead.  The  living  proof  of 
the  miracle  converted  into  believers  many  who  had  gone  from  curi- 
osity. At  this  the  Pharisees  were  doubly  enraged ;  and  perhaps 
history  records  no  example  of  infatuation  equal  to  their  resolve  to 
put  Lazarus  as  well  as  Jesus  to  death  (John  xii.  9-11).  This  Sab- 
bath was  the  9th  of  Nisan,  which  in  that  year  (a.d.  30)  corresponded 
to  March  31st  of  the  Julian  Calendar.  The  intervention  of  the 
Sabbath  delayed  the  execution  of  the  design  till  the  following  week, 
when  Jesus  at  length  "  offered  himself"  publicly  in  the  spirit  of  the 
prophecy:  "Lo!  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God"  (Psa.  xl.  G  ;  Heb. 
x.  5-9).' 

4  Matt.  xx.  29-34  ;  Mark  x.  46-52  ;  Luke  xviii.  35  ;  xix.  1.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  discuss  the  apparent  discrepancy,  the  very  existence  of  which  is  a  proof 
of  the  independence  and  honesty  of  the  witnesses.  Possible  reconciliations 
have  been  suggested,  enough  to  show  that  there  is  no  real  contradiction. 


Gethsemane. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    PASSION    OF    OUR    LORD.  —  FROM    PALM  -  SUNDAY    TO    EASTEB- 
EVE    (APRIL    1ST   TO    APRIL    7th). — A.D.  30. 

TABLE  OF  THE  ENSUING  DATES. 

The  Jewish  days  are  to  be  reckoned  from  the  preceding  sunset.) 

March  31.  Sabbath  at  Bethany.     Evening;  Simon's  Supper. 


S.    Nisan  9. 
S.  "     10. 

M.        "    11. 

Tn.       "    12. 


April 


Palm-Sunday.    Entry  into  Jerusalem. 

Jesus  again  in  the  Temple. 

Last  visit  to  the  Temple.    Prophecy  of  his  second 
coming. 

Conspiracy  of  the  rulers. 
5.  Evening.     The  Passovee  and  Lord's  Supper. 
C>.  Good-Friday.    The  Crucifixion,  and  Entombment, 

7.  Sabbath.     Easter-Eve. 

8.  Easter-Day.     The  Resurrection. 


W.  "  13. 
Th.  "  14. 
P.  "15. 
S.  "    1G. 

S.  "  17. 
S.    Nisan  24.  April     15.  Sunday  after  Easter. 


Th.  Sivau    3.  May      17.  Holy  Thursday.    The  Ascension. 

S.     Sivan  13.  May      27.  Pentecost.     Whitsunday. 

The  great  events  of  the   succeeding  eight    day?,  including   the 
"Passion  Week"  and  "Easter-Day,"  must  be  viewed  as  one  con- 


A.D.  30.  PALM-SUNDAY.  27!) 

nected  series  ;  and  the  Evangelists  enable  us  to  trace  the  incidents 
of  each  day.  St.  Luke  gives  us  this  general  description  of  our 
Lord's  proceedings  on  the  first  three  days  of  the  week:  "In  the 
day-time  he  was  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  at  night  he  went  out 
and  abode  in  the  Mount  of  Olives"  (Luke  xxi.  37). 

1.  Palm-Sunday,  the  \0th  of  Nisan  {April  1st). — This  was  the 
day  on  which  the  lamb  for  the  Passover  was  selected,  to  be  kept  up 
ill  the  time  of  slaving  it.  In  fulfillment  of  the  type,  as  himself 
ibe  Lamb  of  God,  Christ  prepared  to  present  himself  in  the  temple 
at  Jerusalem.  But  be  came  to  the  people  also  in  another  charac- 
ter, as  the  promised  Son  of  David,  their  rightful  King  and  Judge. 
The  prophet  Zechariah  had  both  foretold  the  manner  and  explained 
the  meaning  of  this,  the  great  advent  of  the  Messiah:  "Rejoice 
greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion  ;  shout,  0  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ;  be- 
hold thy  King  cometh  unto  thee  :  He  is  just,  and  having  salvation; 
lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass."1 
Two  disciples,  sent  forward  from  Bethany  to  Bethphage,  a  village 
higher  up  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  found  an  ass 
tied  up  to  a  door  at  the  meeting  of  two  roads,  with  her  colt,  on  which 
no  man  had  yet  ridden,  and  they  had  only  to  say  to  the  owner,  "  The 
Lord  hath  need  of  them,"  to  obtain  them.  The  trappings  of  the 
ass  were  the  coarse  garments  of  the  disciples,  doubtless  travel-stain- 
ed and  worn  ;  and  so  Jesus  mounted  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Mount 
of  Olives  with  far  less  of  outward  pomp  than  even  David  when  he 
returned  from  exile.  But  he  met  with  a  reception  apparently  as 
joyful  and  as  worthy  of  a  restored  monarch.  The  multitude  who 
had  come  to  the  feast  went  forth  to  meet  him,  bearing  in  their  hands 
the  fronds  of  the  palm-tree,  the  well-known  sign  of  victory,  and 
spreading  their  garments  beneath  his  feet,  As  he  began  to  de- 
scend the  Mount,  in  full  view  of  the  temple,  all  the  disciples  burst 
forth  into  a  shout  of  joy,  praising  God  for  all  the  wondrous  works 
that  Christ  had  done,  and  the  people  took  up  the  cry,  in  the  pro- 
phetic words  of  David  himself,  saying,  "Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David"- — that  is,  "The  Lord  preserve  the  Son  of  David."  They 
blessed  him  as  the  King  of  Israel,  head  of  the  kingdom  of  their 
father  David,  coming  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  and  repeated  the 
welcome  with  which  the  angels  had  heralded  his  birth  (comp. 
Psa.  cxviii.  25;  Luke  ii.  14).  For  the  moment,  the  Pharisees 
thought  that  all  their  plots  were  frustrated,  and  said  to  each  oth- 
er, "Perceive  ye  how  we  prevail  nothing?  Behold  the  world  is 
gone  after  him."  Some  of  them  took  courage  to  address  him  in  an 
affected  protest  against  the  enthusiasm  which  endangered  all  con- 

1  Zech.  ix.  9.    In  the  old  times  of  Israel,  judges  and  their  sons,  and  after- 
wards the  king's  sons,  rode  upon  asses. 


280  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV 

cerned — "Master,  rebuke  tliy  disciples!"  And  he  answered,  "1 
tell  you  that,  if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would  im- 
mediately cry  out!"  (Matt.  xxi.  1-16;  Mark  xi.  1-10;  Luke  xix. 
21— ±0;  John  xii.  12-1G).  But  he  well  knew  the  issue;  and  so, 
pausing  in  his  triumphal  progress  as  he  drew  near  to  the  city,  he 
once  more  bewailed  its  rejection  of  the  day  of  grace,  and  predicted 
its  destruction.2  Entering  into  Jerusalem  and  the  temple,  he  still 
meiwith  the  same  reception,  the  people  crying,  "This  is  Jesus,  the 
prophet  of  Nazareth  of  Galilee!"  and  coming  to  him  in  the  temple 
to  be  healed.  What  most  incensed  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  was 
to  hear  the  children  crying  in  the  temple,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son 
of  David,"  and,  as  before,  they  asked  him  to  silence  them  ;  bet 
he  only  reminded  them  of  David's  words,  "Out  of  the  mouths  of 
babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected  praise."  In  the  evening 
he  returned  to  Bethany  (Matt.  xxi.  10-17;  Markxi.  11) 

2.  Monday,  the  Uth  o/Nisan  (April  2d.) — Having  on  the  preced- 
ing days  shown  himself  in  the  temple  as  King  in  Zion,  amidst  the 
acclamations  of  the  people,  Jesus  now  proceeded  to  the  practical 
exertion  of  his  authority  by  cleansing  the  temple,  as  he  had  already 
done  at  the  commencement  of  his  ministry.  There  is,  however,  a 
striking  difference  between  the  two  scenes,  in  the  greater  severity 
which  he  now  used.  While  there  was  a  hope  of  reformation,  he 
had  been  content  with  the  language  of  remonstrance,  "  Make  not 
my  Father's  house  a  house  of  merchandise ;"  but  now  he  takes  up 
the  stern  language  of  the  Judge,  "It  is  written,  My  house  shall  be 
called  of  all  nations  the  house  of  prayer  ;  but  ye  have  made  it  a  den 
of  thieves"  (Matt.  xxi.  12,  13  ;  Mark  xi.  15-1 'J;  Luke  xix.  45-48: 
comp.  John  ii.  13-17). 

On  the  same  day,  on  his  way  from  Bethany  to  Jerusalem  in  the 
morning,  had  occurred  the  striking  incident  of  his  cursing  the  bar- 
ren fig-tree,  which  was  found  dead  the  next  morning — a  fit  type  of 
that  premature  outward  show  of  devotion  with  which  he  was  even 
now  welcomed  by  the  people  (Matt.  xxi.  18,19;  Mark  xi.  12-14, 
20). 3     This  was  our  Lord's  only  miracle  of  destruction. 

3.  Tuesday,  the  11th  o/Nisan  (April  ith),  is  memorable  as  the 
last  day  of  our  Lord's  public  teaching ;  and  the  story  of  it  comprises 
an  epitome  of  his  controversies  with  his  enemies,  his  most  solemn 
lessons  to  his  disciples  and  the  people,  and  his   prophecies  and 

2  Luke  xix.  39-14.  That  frequent  repetition,  which  is  esteemed  the  mark 
of  certainty,  is  to  be  observed  in  this  prediction  of  our  Lord  ;  first,  on  his 
way  to  Jerusalem  ;  secondly,  on  this  occasion  ;  thirdly,  during  his  last  day 
in  the  temple  ;  and  finally,  on  his  last  farewell  to  the  city. 

3  The  name  of  Dethphage,  "Honse  of  Figs,"  points  to  the  fig-trees  that 
grew  amonu  the  olives  on  the  mount. 


A.D.  30.     LAST  DAY  OF  CHRIST'S  TEACHING.  281 

warnings  concerning  the  end  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation  and  of  tho 
world  itself,  and  his  own  final  coining  as  the  Judge  of  men. 

On  entering  the  temple,  he  was  met  by  a  new  demand  of  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  for  his  authority,  doubtless  with  the  design 
of  hanging  on  his  reply  a  charge  of  blasphemy.  But  he  asked  them 
to  tell  him  first  whether  the  baptism  of  John  was  from  heaven  or 
of  man.  If  they  confessed  the  former,  they  stood  convicted  as  un- 
believers ;  but,  if  they  maintained  the  latter,  they  themselves  would 
be  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  common  people,  who  all  held  John  to 
be  a  prophet.  So  they  were  put  to  silence;  and  Jesus  pointed  the 
moral  of  the  scene  by  the  parable  of  the  Two  Sons  and  the  Vineyard. 
Still  more  striking  pictures  were  given  of  their  guilt  in  his  rejec- 
tion, and  of  God's  purpose  to  transfer  to  others  the  privileges  they 
had  forfeited,  by  the  parables  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen  and  of  the 
Wedding  Garment  (Malt.  xxi.  23-4 G  ;  Mark  xi.  27-xii.  12  ;  Luke 
xx.  1-19  ;   Matt.  xxii.  1-14). 

Some  effort  must  now  be  made  to  check  the  influence  of  all  these 
discourses  on  the  people;  and  each  party  of  his  enemies  tried  in 
turn  both  to  gain  a  victory  over  him  in  argument,  and  to  entrap 
him  out  of  his  own  mouth.  The  first  scheme,  concerted  by  the 
Pharisees  with  the  Ilerodians,  who  were  friendly  to  the  Roman  pow- 
er, was  to  convict  him  of  treason  to  Caesar.  But  he  pointed  to  the 
fact  that  their  money  bore  the  image  and  superscription  of  Ca3sar, 
as  a  proof  that,  by  accepting  the  emperor's  protection,  they  had 
themselves  decided  the  lawfulness  of  paying  tribute,  and  he  laid 
down  for  all  such  cases  the  great  law,  "  Render  to  Cresar  the  things 
that  are  Caesar's,  and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's."  So  they 
were  put  to  silence  (Matt.  xxii.  15-22;  Mark  xii.  13-17  ;  Luke  xx. 
20-2G). 

The  Sadducees  tried  next;  but  their  subtle  argument  against  the 
resurrection  was  met  by  exposing  their  ignorance  of  the  spirituality 
of  a  future  state,  and  by  the  words  of  a  part  of  Scripture  which  they 
received  ;  for  when  God  calls  himself  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  he  is  "not  a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living;  fori/// 
live  unto  him"  (Matt.  xxii.  15-22;  Mark  xii.  13-17  ;  Luke  xx.  20- 
2G  ;  comp.  Exod.  iii.  6).  On  learning  the  discomforture  of  their  ri- 
vals, the  Pharisees  met  in  council  to  propose  an  unanswerable  ques- 
tion ;  and  it  was  this,  "  Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  of 
the  law  ?"'  or,  as  St.  Mark  puts  it,  "  Which  is  the  first  commandment 
of  all?"  And  Jesus  replied  in  the  very  words  in  which  Moses 
himself  had  summed  up  the  claims  of  the  Two  Tables  on  the  Avholc 
nature  of  man,  "  Thou  shah  love  the  Loiu>  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy 
strength  :  this  is  the  first  commandment.     And  the  second  is  like 


282  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself?"  The  reply  was 
our  Lord's  final  triumph  over  error,  and  the  central  truth  of  all  his 
doctrine.  He  had  begun  his  public  teaching  by  declaring  that 
"  He  came  to  fulfill  the  law  and  the  prophets:"  He  closed  it  by  an- 
nouncing that  "  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."  The  very  scribe 
who  had  put  the  question  confessed  the  spiritual  meaning  of  the 
answer  with  such  earnest  eloquence  as  to  draw  from  our  Lord  the 
approval,  "Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven"  (Matt, 
xxii.  3-1,  40  ;  Mark  xii.  28-34). 

Meanwhile  our  Lord's  reply  had  finally  silenced  all  the  cavillers: 
"No  man  after  that  durst  ask  him  any  question."  And  now  the 
time  was  come  fur  him  to  question  them,  and  to  make  a  last  ex- 
posure of  their  destructive  system  of  hypocrisy,  as  a  warning  to  his 
disciples  and  the  people.  Looking  upon  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
who  had  assembled  in  the  temple  to  enjoy  their  expected  triumph, 
he  proposed  a  question,  which  at  once  implied  his  own  double 
claim  to  the  throne  of  David  and  of  God,  and  left  those  who  re- 
jected it  in  either  part  without  excuse  :  How  could  Christ  be  at 
the  same  time  David's  Son,  and  his  Lord,  seated  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  throne  of  God  ?  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  2  ;  Psa.  ex.  1  :  comp.  Acts  ii. 
34,  35  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  25).  The  only  possible  answer  was  that  full  ad- 
mission of  the  spiritual  nature  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  which 
would  have  identified  him  in  all  points  with  Jesus;  and,  rather 
than  confess  this,  their  obstinate  silence  rejected  the  last  oppor- 
tunity of  offered  grace  (Matt.  xxii.  41-46;  Mark  xii.  35-37;  Luke 
xx.  41-44). 

Then  ensued  our  Lord's  final  outpouring  of  just  indignation  on 
the  false  and  profligate  teachers  who  had  long  led  on  the  people, 
like  the  blind  leading  the  blind,  to  the  ruin  they  were  soon  to  con- 
summate. The  woes  denounced  on  the  "Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites,"  by  the  voice  of  God's  own  Son  in  his  holy  temple,  in 
the  character  of  a  Judge,  and  as  a  foretaste  of  the  last  judgment, 
stand  in  a  striking  contrast  to  the  blessings  uttered  on  his  humble 
disciples  from  the  mount,  as  the  crimes  that  called  them  down  were 
the  very  opposite  to  the  virtues  there  inculcated  :  saying  and  not 
doing — binding  grievous  burdens  for  other  men's  shoulders,  while 
they  would  not  so  much  as  touch  them — loving  all  marks  of  out- 
ward honor,  even  in  the  house  where  God  only  should  be  honored, 
and  displaying  all  forms  of  ostentatious  devotion,  while  their  lives 
were  full  of  rapacity  and  vice ;  converting  proselytes  to  the  law,  only 
to  make  them  twofold  more  the  children  of  hell  than  themselves; 
frittering  away  the  most  solemn  obligations,  and  at  the  same  time 
extenuating  the  greatest  crimes  by  their  false  casuistry;  cleansing 
the  outside  of  cup  and  dish,  which  reeked  within  with  abominations 


A.I).  30.   DEPARTURE  FROM  THE  TEMPLE.       283 

that  they  swallowed  as  their  daily  food,  "straining  out  the  gnat, 
and  swallowing  the  camel" — their  hypocrisy  could  find  no  fitter 
image  than  the  whited  sepulchres,  which  they  were  so  fond  of  gar- 
nishing without,  while  the  mass  of  corruption  was  still  festering 
within.  Aye  !  and  the  fact  that  their  chiefest  care  was  bestowed 
on  the  sepulchres  of  those  prophets  whom  their  fathers  slew  suggest 
ed  the  climax  of  the  denunciation.  In  their  affected  care  to  wash 
their  hands  of  their  fathers'  deed,  they  confessed  themselves  the 
children  of  those  who  slew  the  prophets,  and  were  about  to  surpass 
their  worst  crimes  by  an  act  which  should  bring  on  them  the  guilt 
of  all  the  blood  shed  under  the  Old  Covenant.  At  last  the  utter- 
ance of  wrath  dies  away  in  tones  of  the  deepest  pity,  as  he  repents 
his  lamentation  over  Jerusalem  and  her  doom  of  desolation  at  his 
coming  (Matt,  xxiii.  13-39  ;    Mark  xii.  40;   Luke  xx.  47). 

Our  Saviour's  praise  of  the  poor  widow  who  cast  two  mites — all 
she  had — into  the  treasury,  as  having  given  more  than  all  the  sums 
that  the  rich  cast  in  from  their  abundance,  is  the  last  event  of  this 
day  in  the  temple,  according  to  the  first  three  Evangelists.  St. 
John,  who  passes  over  the  other  incidents  of  this  and  the  preceding 
day,  relates  the  coming  of  certain  Greeks,  who  were  introduced  by 
Philip  and  Andrew  to  Jesus,  and  the  declaration  of  our  Lord  that 
the  hour  was  now  come  for  the  Son  of  Man  to  be  glorified,  and  for 
the  Father's  name  to  be  glorified  by  his  death,  followed  by  the  ap- 
proving voice  of  God  from  heaven.  A  brief  conversation  ensued, 
after  which  Jesus  departed  finally  from  the  temple,  uttering  his  last 
words  of  promise  to  believers,  and  of  warning  to  those  who  rejected 
him — words  addressed  especially  to  many  of  the  chief  rulers,  who 
believed  in  secret,  but  feared  to  confess  him,  "for  they  loved  the 
praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God"  (John  xii.  20-50). 

But  the  greatest  words  of  this  eventful  day  were  uttered  by  our 
Lord  to  his  disciples  after  he  had  left  Jerusalem.  They  had  call- 
ed his  attention,  as  he  departed  from  the  temple,  to  the  magnifi- 
cence of  its  buildings  ;  and  he  had  replied  that  the  time  was  com- 
ing when  not  one  stone  would  be  left  upon  another.  The  eastern 
valley  was  no  sooner  crossed,  than  they  began  to  ask  him  when 
these  things  would  happen,  and  what  would  be  the  signs  of  his  com- 
ing and  of  the  end  of  the  world.  The  threefold  form  of  this  inquiry 
is  an  important  guide  to  the  momentous  discourse  which  Jesus  ut- 
tered as  he  sat.  upon  the  slope  of  Olivet,  in  full  view  of  the  temple. 
Here  he  is  seen  as  the  great  Prophet  of  the  new  dispensation,  briefly 
recounting  the  warnings  long  before  uttered  by  Daniel,  and  yet  to 
be  more  fully  revealed  through  St.  John. 

The  first  part  of  the  discourse  describes  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus,  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  and  perhaps  the  fearful 


284  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV 

calamities  which  attended  the  final  dispersion  of  the  Jews  by  Ha- 
drian. Equally  clear  is  the  reference  of  the  last  part,  though  the 
point  of  transition  is  very  difficult  to  fix,  to  the  scenes  preceding 
and  attending  the  end  of  the  world  and  the  final  judgment ;  and  to 
these  a  practical  application  is  given  by  the  parables  of  the  faithful 
and  unfaithful  Servant,  and  of  the  wise  and  foolish  Virgins;  while 
the  whole  concludes  with  a  plain  description  of  the  judgment-day 
(Matt,  xxiv.,  xxv.  ;   Mark  xiii. ;   Luke  xxi.  5-36). 

On  that  very  evening,  he  warned  his  disciples  finally  that  it 
wanted  now  but  two  days  to  the  time  when,  on  the  coming  Pass- 
over, he  should  be  betrayed  and  crucified  (Matt.  xxvi.  1,  2);  and 
we  can  imagine  Judas  Iscariot  slinking  out  to  plot  his  treason,  as, 
when  more  plainly  denounced,  he  left  the  Paschal  table  to  carry  u 
out.  But  why  "must  the  Son  of  Man  be  betrayed?"  Simply  be- 
cause his  enemies  dared  not  touch  him  in  presence  of  the  people. 
Nor,  in  stating  this  historic  reason,  let  us  forget  that  "  in  all  points 
it  behooved  him  to  be  made  like  unto  his  brethren" — whose  great- 
est earthly  trial  is  perhaps  the  treachery  of  friends.  "  Yea,  mine 
own  familiar  friend,  in  whom  I  trusted,  which  did  eat  of  my  bread, 
hath  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me  " — are  the  prophetic  words  in  which 
David,  from  his  own  experience,  foretold  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
(Psa.  xli.  9  ;  comp.  lv.  12-14,  20,  21).  The  plan  was  to  seize  him 
by  treachery  in  his  retirement ;  and  for  this  an  opportunity  was  un- 
expectedly offered  this  very  night.  Judas  Iscariot,  whom  Jesus 
had  foreknown  as  the  traitor  from  the  first,  came  to  the  chief  priests, 
and  agreed  to  place  his  Master  in  their  hands  for  the  paltry  hribe 
of  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the  very  sum  fixed  in  the  law  as  compen- 
sation for  the  life  of  a  slave  (Exod.  xxi.  32;  comp.  Zech.  xi.  12, 
13  ;  Matt,  xxvii.  9).  Judas  stands  alone  in  sacred  history  as  a 
man  devoted  by  name,  by  the  voice  of  the  Lord  himself,  to  perdi- 
tion. How,  then,  did  he  obtain  this  awful  pre-eminence?  Simply 
by  love  of  the  world.  He  is  the  most  marked  type  of  those  false 
disciples  who  joined  Christ  in  the  expectation  of  an  earthly  kingdom; 
and  when  our  Lord's  repeated  announcements  of  his  sufferings  and 
death  showed  this  to  be  a  vain  hope,  he  prepared  to  sell  himself  and 
his  Master  to  the  rulers.  He  seems  to  have  had  that  practical  tal- 
ent for  business  which  gains  confidence,  and  he  was  made  the  treas- 
urer of  the  little  band;  and  this  position  became  a  snare  to  him. 
In  that  character  he  raised  his  hypocritical  objection  to  the  waste- 
fulness of  Mary's  act  of  self-devotion,  contemplating  the  securing 
the  common  purse  for  himself  in  the  approaching  end:  "This  he 
said,  not  that  he  cared  for  the  poor,  but  because  he  was  a  thief,  and 
had  the  bag,  and  bare  what  was  put  therein  "  (John  xii.  C).  The 
reply  of  Jesus,  implying  his  knowledge  that  Judas  cared  as  little 


AD.  30.  DAY  OF  THE  PASSOVEli.  285 

for  the  poor  as  for  him,  seems  to  have  set  the  seal  to  the  traitor's 
purpose;  for  Matthew  and  Mark  place  his  communication  to  the 
chief  priests  immediately  after  the  feast  in  Bethany.  Whether  that 
feast  be  rightly  placed  after  the  Sabbath  (on  Saturday  evening),  or 
on  the  Tuesday  evening,  as  some  prefer,  it  seems  clear  from  the 
three  Evangelists  that  the  latter  was  the  date  of  Judas's  bargain, 
two  days  before  the  Passover  (Matt.  xxvi.  14— 1G  ;  Mark  xiv.  1,2, 
10,  11  ;  Luke  xxii.  1-6). 

4.  Wednesday,  the  VSth  of  Nisan  (April  4th). — Our  Lord  remain- 
ed at  Bethany  till  the  afternoon  of  Thursday,  and  a  solemn  silence 
rests  over  this  period  of  his  life.  At  all  events,  the  lesson  is  most 
impressive  that,  in  the  very  last  week  of  his  ministry,  after  three 
days  of  incessant  activity,  our  Lord  secured  this  unbroken  interval 
of  holy  contemplation,  as  the  fittest  preparation  for  his  Passion. 
The  idea  that  he  may  have  spent  the  day  in  converse  with  his  dis- 
ciples seems  to  be  excluded  by  the  silence  of  St.  John,  who  is  so 
full  in  his  relation  of  the  next  day's  scenes. 

5.  Thursday,  the  lith  of  Nisan  ;  the  evening  belonging  to  the  \hth 
(April  oth).  — "  Then  came  the  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when  the 
Passover  must  be  killed."4  The  exact  time  appointed  in  the  law 
for  killing  the  Paschal  Lamb  was  on  the  Uth  of  Nisan  "between 
the  evenings,"  or  about  sunset  ;  and  it  seems  to  have  been  actually 
killed  between  the  hour  of  the  evening  sacrifice  (the  9th  haur=<$ 
p.m.)  and  sunset.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  show  that  "Christ 
our  Passover  was  slain  for  us "  on  the  same  afternoon  on  which 
the  Paschal  Lamb  was  killed.  But  the  true  view  seems  to  be  that 
our  Lord  observed  this,  the  greatest  sacrifice  of  the  Old  Covenant, 
before  he  offered  the  one  great  sacrifice  of  the  New  Covenant,  that 
is,  himself,  upon  the  cross,  and  by  so  doing  he  exactly  fulfilled  the 
type. 

As  the  day  advanced,  the  disciples,  well  aware  of  the  danger  of 
a  return  to  the  city,  asked  the  Master  where  thev  should  prepare 
the  Passover.  He  sent  Peter  and  John  into  the  city  to  a  certain 
man,  whom  they  were  to  recognize  by  a  sign,  and  who,  at  the  sim- 
ple intimation  of  the  Lord's  will,  showed  them  to  a  large  upper 
room  furnished  and  in  proper  order,  where  they  prepared  the  feast. 
Entering  the  city  privately,  while  the  people  were  similarly  engaged 
in  their  several  households,  Jesus  sat  down  with  the  twelve  apostles 
to  eat  the  Passover  before  sunset.  We  must  now  be  content  to  in- 
dicate the  "several  events  of  this  memorable  feast,  which  are  fully 
related  in  the  Gospels;  and  the  whole  meaning  of  which  is  an  ob- 
ject for  much  future  study  :  Our  Lord's  refusal  of  the  cup  of  wine  ; 

4  Luke  xxii.  7.  The  "  Passover"  means  here  the  Faschal  Lamb.  The  im- 
portant"" *^»oticiug  this  will  appear  presently. 


28G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chat  XXV. 

his  rebuke  of  the  controversy  which  broke  out  even  then  for  the 
highest  place  in  his  expected  kingdom  ;  his  lesson  of  humility  by 
washing  the  disciples'  feet,  followed  by  the  warning,  "Ye  are  not 
all  clean  ;"  the  overpowering  sorrow  with  which  he  plainly  de- 
clared that  the  traitor  was  one  of  them,  and  the  agonizing  questions, 
"Lord,  is  it  I  ?  Is  it  I?" — answered  by  the  sign  which  marked 
out  the  traitor,  though  to  John  alone,  and  the  words — so  piercing- 
ly clear  to  the  traitor,  though  misunderstood  by  the  rest — which  sent 
Judas  forth  in  haste  to  concert  his  measures  with  the  rulers,  undei 
cover  of  the  night,  which  had  now  set  in. 

Then  Christ  announced  to  those  who  were  left,  that  the  hour 
was  come  for  the  Son  of  Man  to  be  glorified,  and  for  God  to  be 
glorified  in  him;  that  he  was  going  before  them  on  a  path  by  which 
they  should  soon  follow  him,  but  that  they  were  not  yet  ready  ; 
and  meanwhile  he  gave  them  the  new  commandment,  that  they 
should  love  one  another.  The  impatient  zeal  of  Peter  rebelled  at 
the  thought  of  not  following  his  Master  now  ;  and  his  self-deceiv- 
ing readiness  to  lay  down  his  life  for  Christ's  sake  was  rebuked  by 
the  prediction  that  he  would  deny  him  thrice  on  that  very  night  be- 
fore the  crowing  of  the  cock  ;  while  the  other  disciples,  who  might  bs 
beginning  to  think  themselves  above  the  weakness  of  Peter  as  well 
as  the  treachery  of  Judas,  were  warned  that  they  too  would  aban- 
don him  that  night  and  be  scattered  abroad ;  but  he  appointed  to 
meet  them  in  Galilee  after  his  resurrection  (John  xiii.  36-38 ; 
Matt.  xxvi.  31-35  ;  Mark  xiv.  27-31). 

Either  just  before  or  just  after  this  scene,  as  the  supper  was 
drawing  to  an  end,  Christ  took  a  loaf  of  the  unleavened  bread,  and, 
having  given  thanks,  he  brake  it  and  gave  it  them  to  eat,  as  the 
emblem  of  his  body,  broken  for  men.  Then,  the  supper  being 
ended,  he  took  a  cup,  the  third  of  those  usually  partaken  of  at  the 
Paschal  feast,  and  divided  it  in  like  manner  among  them,  as  t he 
pledge  of  the  new  covenant  in  his  blood,  shed  for  the  remission  of 
sins.  Thus  he  instituted  the  Lord's  Supper,  to  be  observed  to  all 
future  time,  in  remembrance  of  him  (Matt.  xxvi.  26-29  ;  Mark  xiv. 
22-25;  Luke  xxii.  19,  20;    1  Cor.  xi.  23-25). 

Between  the  end  of  the  meal  and  the  hymns  of  praise  which  fol- 
lowed it,  there  was  an  interval  of  most  solemn  and  delightful  con- 
verse, in  which  occurs  the  great  promise  of  the  Paraclete,  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  truth.  The  exquisite  chapters  of  St.  John  which  contain 
this  discourse  conclude  with  that  most  solemn  and  affecting  of  all 
the  utterances  of  human  language,  our  Lord's  intercessory  prayer8 

*  John  xiv.,  xvii.  The  break  at  xiv.  31  is  only  apparent.  It  indicates  the 
first  movement  towards  departure  ;  but  the  discourse  is  resumed  and  con- 
cluded before  they  leave  the  house. 


A.D.  30.  DAY  OF  THE  PASSOVER.  287 

in  presence  of  liis  disciples.  The  singing  of  a  hymn,  probably  the 
"Great  Hallel"  (Fsa.  cxv.-cxviii.),  concluded  the  Paschal  celebra- 
tion, and  then  they  went  out  together  to  the  first  scene  of  suffer- 
ing on  the  Mount  of  Olives  (Matt.xxvi.  30;  Mark  xiv.  2G  ;  Luke 
xxii.  39). 

Going  down  into  the  ravine  which  divides  Jerusalem  from  the 
Mount,  they  crossed  the  brook  Kedron,  and  entered  the  Garden  of 
jk'thsemane  (the  Oil-press).  A  part  of  the  garden  still  exists,  be- 
tween the  brook  and  the  foot  of  the  Mount,  marked  by  a  few  olive- 
trees,  which  are  old  enough  to  have  grown  there  since  our  Saviour's 
time.6  Here  Jesus  took  apart  the  same  three  disciples— Feter, 
James,  and  John — who  had  seen  his  glory  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration, to  be  near  him  during  his  last  and  most  fearful  agony  of 
temptation.  "We  leave  to  the  words  of  Holy  Writ  the  scene  which 
ended  with  the  appearance  of  the  traitor,  leading  tbe  officers  of  the 
temple,  and  his  betrayal  of  his  Master  by  a  kiss ;  as  well  as  the  in- 
cidents which  put  the  assailants  to  shame,  and  proved  the  omnipo- 
tence which  our  Lord  abstained  from  using  in  his  own  defense, 
since  this  hour  (he  said)  was  granted  to  them  and  to  the  powers  of 
darkness,  that  the  Scriptures  might  be  fulfilled.  Then  all  his  dis- 
ciples forsook  him  and  fled  :  but  the  self-reliant  zeal  of  Feter  and 
the  love  of  John  induced  them  to  follow  at  a  safe  distance  (Matt. 
xxvi.  36-5G  ;  Mark  xiv.  32-50  ;  Luke  xxii.  39-53  ;  John  xviii.  2- 
11).' 

We  must  distinguish  four  different  scenes  of  our  Lord's  trial  (to 
use  the  word  for  such  a  mockery  of  justice)  :  (1)  His  being  taken  to 
the  house  of  Annas  ;  (2)  His  private  examination  by  Caiaphas ; 
(3)  His  formal  arraignment  before  the  Sanhedrim  as  a  blasphemer 
under  the  Jewish  law  ;  (4)  His  being  delivered  to  Pilate,  to  be  dealt 
with  by  the  Roman  law,  as  a  traitor  to  Caesar — besides  the  episode 
of  Filate's  sending  him  to  Herod. 

(1.)  The  Divine  prisoner  was  led  first  to  the  house  of  Annas,  the 
father-in-law  of  the  high-priest,  Caiaphas— perhaps  to  avoid  com- 
mitting the  rulers,  till  it  was  decided  whether  they  would  risk  a 
public  trial.  But  there  seems  now  to  have  been  no  wish  t<>  draw 
back  ;  and  Annas  sent  him  bound  to  Caiaphas,  who  had  already 
openly  advised  his  death  (John  xviii.  13.  14,  24). 

(2.)  The  examination  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas  is  connected  with 
the  affecting  episode  of  Peter's  threefold  denial  of  his  Master,  to 

6  The  preseut  garden  is  fifty  paces  square.  That  it  was  much  larger  ia 
clenr  from  Luke  xxii.  41.  There  are  eight  trees,  the  age  of  which  has  been 
reckoned  at  two  thousand  years. 

7  The  incident  of  the  young  man,  which  is  recorded  by  Mam  only  (iiv  51. 
62),  has  been  conjectured  to  refer  to  the  Evangelist  himself. 


288  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

understand  which,  the  structure  of  an  Oriental  house  should  be  re- 
membered. The  gate  gives  entrance  to  an  open  court-yard,  and  it 
was  in  the  middle  of  this  court  that  the  servants  and  officers  made 
a  fire  to  keep  off  the  chilliness  of  a  spring  night.  Peter  and  John 
followed  at  a  distance;  but  John,  having  some  acquaintance  with 
the  high-priest,  not  only  ventured  himself  into  the  palace,  but  spoke 
to  the  female  servant  at  the  door  who  let  in  Peter ;  and  he  had  the 
rashness  to  sit  down  among  the  soldiers.  Jesus  was  led  into  one 
of  the  chambers  opening  into  the  court,  whence  he  could  see  what 
passed  round  the  fire.  Where  John  was,  we  are  not  told  ;  but  it 
seems  that,  being  known  to  the  servants,  he  was  left  unmolested, 
and  so  became  an  eye-witness  of  what  followed  to  the  very  end  ; 
and  hence  the  vast  importance  which  is  assigned  to  his  testimony. 
The  details  of  the  three  denials  must  be  read  in  the  Gospels.8 

The  first  interrogation  seems  to  have  been  made  by  the  high- 
priest  just  after  Peter's  first  denial,  preparatory  to  the  meeting  of 
the  Sanhedrim  at  dawn.  "The  high-priest  asked  Jesus  of  his  dis- 
ciples and  of  his  doctrine."  The  former  question  may  have  been  de- 
signed to  ascertain,  before  summoning  the  Sanhedrim,  how  far  the 
new  leaven  had  spread  among  its  members  (comp.  John  xii.  42) ; 
but  Jesus  betrayed  no  man.  To  the  other  question  he  only  replied 
by  appealing  to  the  evidence  of  those  who  had  been  his  hearers,  and 
for  tliis  an  officer  struck  him  for  contempt  of  the  high-priest  (John 
xviii.  19-24).  Cainphas  seems  then  to  have  retired  to  summon  the 
Sanhedrim  ;  and  Peter's  second  and  third  denials  occurred  in  the 
mean  time. 

<;.  Gooi.-Fkiday,  still  the  15th  of  Nisan  (April  6th).— (3.)  At 
dawn  of  day  the  Council  (Sanhedrim)  met,  and  Jesus  was  arraigned 
before  them  (Luke  xxii.  66).  Their  first  object  was  to  condemn 
him  as  a  false  prophet  and  blasphemer,  crimes  punishable  by  the 
Mosaic  law  with  death.  The  law  required  the  testimony  of  two 
witnesses ;  and  several  witnesses  were  suborned,  but  their  testi- 
mony was  too  evidently  false  to  be  admitted.  "When  at  last  two 
were  found  to  swear  to  the  same  point,  and  to  pervert  the  words  he  hnfl 
used  about  the  destruction  and  resurrection  of  the  temple  of  his 
body  into  a  threat  that  he  would  destroy  the  temple,  they  were  still  at 
variance  with  one  another  (Matt.  xxii.  59-63  ;  Mark  xiv.  55-61 > 

8  Matt.  xxvi.  47-5S,  69,  75  ;  Mark  xiv.  43-54,  66-72  ;  Luke  xxii.  47-62  ;  John 
xviii.  1-1S,  25-27.  We  do  not  enter  on  the  minor  questions  as  to  the  order 
of  the  three  denials,  which  again  illustrate  that  unity  amidst  diversity  which 
characterizes  faithful  witnesses.  The  double  crowing  of  the  cock,  mention- 
ed only  by  St.  Mark,  is  consistent  with  every-day  experience,  and  forms  a 
valuable  note  or  time;  for  the  cock  always  crows  soon  after  midnight,  as 
well  as  at  the  break  of  day. 


A.D.30.  THE  TRIAL  OF  JESUS.  289 

To  all  this  evidence  Jesus  made  no  reply,  as  indeed  none  was 
necessary;  till  the  high-priest  reproached  him  for  his  silence,  and 
adjured  him  by  the  living  God  to  say  whether  he  was  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God.  Then  he  plainly  said  I  AM,  and  warned  them  of  the 
time  when  they  should  see  him  sitting  in  his  power  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  This  was  enough. 
Rending  his  clothes — the  wonted  sign  of  distress  and  horror — the 
high-priest  appealed  to  the  council,  who  at  once  condemned  Jesus 
for  blasphemy,  while  the  officers  covered  his  face,  spat  on  him,  and 
buffeted  him  with  blows,  mocking  his  prophetic  powers  by  asking 
him  to  tell  who  struck  him,  and  adding  many  other  blasphemies 
(Matt.  xxvi.  G3-68;  Mark  xiv.  Gl-G.">;  Luke xxii.  67-71  and  63-65; 
comp.  Isa.  1.  6  ;   liii.  7). 

(4.)  The  next  step,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses,  would  have 
been  to  have  led  him  without  the  city  and  stoned  him  to  death. 
But  the  subjection  of  the  Jews  to  Rome  had  deprived  even  their 
highest  court  of  the  power  of  life  and  death.  So  they  took  a  course 
which  secured  the  fulfillment  of  Christ's  own  sayings  respecting  the 
manner  of  his  death.  It  became  the  act  of  Pilate,  with  the  approval 
of  Herod ;  thus  uniting  with  the  ecclesiastical  rulers  of  the  Jews 
their  own  civil  authority  and  the  supreme  power  of  Rome — a  con- 
currence of  the  representatives  of  all  the  world  (comp.  Psa.  ii.)— 
and  securing  the  infliction  of  that  form  of  death,  the  most  ignomin- 
ious as  well  as  painful,  which  could  best  mark  God's  wrath  against 
sin,  and  which,  as  especially  the  punishment  of  a  slave,  showed  tho 
Saviour  descending  to  the  lowest  depths  of  humiliation,  to  prove  that 
he  would  save  the  most  degraded  (sec  Gal.  iii.  10;  vi.  14;  Phil. 
ii.  8;  Heb.  xii.  2;  Col.  ii.  14). 

They  led  Him  to  the  Proetorium,  where  the  Roman  procurator, 
Pontius  Pilate,0  had  just  taken  his  seat  early  in  the  morning; 
but,  as  they  could  not  enter  a  court  inaugurated  by  heathen  sacri- 
fices without  incurring  a  pollution  that  would  have  prevented  their 
keeping  the  feast,  Pilate  came  out  to  ask  them  the  charge  on  which 
they  delivered  up  the  prisoner.  They  only  replied  that  he  was  a 
malefactor,  and  Pilate  gave  them  leave  to  deal  with  him  according 
to  their  law.  Then  they  charged  him  with  the  political  offense  of 
forbidding  the  people  to  pay  tribute  to  Csesar  (the  very  trap  into 
which  they  had  vainly  tried  to  draw  him)  and  making  himself  a  king. 
Pilate  went  back,  and  began  his  examination  by  asking,  "Art  thou 
the  king  of  the  Jews?"  Jesus  replied  that  his  kingdom  was  not 

0  The  Preetorinm,  translated  in  the  authorized  version  the  "hall  of  judg- 
ment" (John  xviii.  28),  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  Roman  military  govern- 
or. The  time  was  the  early  dawu,  a  point  of  importance  in  reference  to  tho 
time  of  the  condemnation  (see  below). 

T 


290  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

of  this  world,  as  the  peaceful  conduct  of  his  disciples  proved ;  and 
when  further  pressed  with  the  question,  "Art  thou  a  king,  then?" 
he  explained  his  kingdom  to  consist  in  bearing  witness  to  the  truth, 
and  claimed  the  allegiance  of  every  one  who  was  himself  true.  To 
this  appeal  Pilate  made  the  often-quoted  rejoinder,  "What  is  truth?" 
and  left  the  prsetorium,  to  tell  the  Jews  that  he  found  no  fault  in 
the  accused.  He  seems  to  have  brought  Jesus  out  with  the  inten- 
tion of  dismissing  him  ;  but  the  priests  and  elders  began  to  upbraid 
him  with  new  charges,  to  which  he  made  no  reply  (Matt,  xxvii. 
1,  2,  11,  14;  Mark  xv.  1-5;  Luke  xxiii.  1-5;  John  xviii.  28-38: 
eomp.  Isa.  liii.  7). 

Catching  at  the  mention  of  Galilee  as  the  chief  scene  of  his  sedi- 
tious teaching,  Pilate  resolved  to  send  him  to  Herod  Antipas,  who 
had  come  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  Passover — a  practice  by  which  he 
was  accustomed  to  conciliate  the  Jews.  Herod  rejoiced  in  obtain- 
ing the  interview  which  he  had  long  sought  in  vain,  and  put  many 
questions  to  Jesus,  in  the  hope  of  his  working  some  miracle.  Pro- 
voked, however,  at  receiving  no  answer,  and  seeing  the  vehemence 
of  Christ's  accusers,  Herod,  with  his  soldiers,  made  a  mockery  of 
his  regal  claims,  and  sent  him  back  to  Pilate  arrayed  in  the  im- 
perial purple.  The  occasion  was  seized  for  a  reconciliation  between 
the  king  and  procurator,  who  had  been  long  at  variance,  and  the 
words  of  David  were  fulfilled,  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  them- 
selves, and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together,  against  the  Lord  and 
against  His  anointed"  (Luke  xxiii. 4-12;  Psa.  ii.  1,  2:  comp.  Acts 
iv.  25,  2G). 

Finding  himself  compelled  to  decide  the  case,  Pilate  tried  an  ap- 
peal from  the  rulers  to  the  people.  It  was  a  customary  act  of  grace, 
in  honor  of  the  Passover,  for  the  Roman  governor  to  release  some 
prisoner,  whom  the  people  chose.  Knowing  that  the  charge  against 
Jesus  sprang  from  the  envy  of  the  priests,  and  that  the  people  had 
shown  such  enthusiasm  for  him,  he  proposed  to  release  him  whom 
they  had  so  lately  hailed  as  their  King.  But  the  plan  was  defeated 
by  a  cunning  manoeuvre  of  the  priests.  There  was  another  prisoner, 
named  Bahabbas,  a  murderer  and  robber,  and  the  leader  of  one 
of  those  insurrections  against  the  Roman  government  which  were 
frequent  during  the  later  days  of  Judaja.  The  feelings  of  the  peo- 
ple were  easily  inflamed  on  behalf  of  this  patriot  brigand  ;  and  they 
probably  saw  by  this  time  that  Jesus  was  not  about  to  fulfill  their 
hopes  of  a  miraculous  restoration  of  David's  kingdom.  Pilate  await- 
ed their  decision  with  an  anxiety  the  more  intense  because,  while 
sitting  on  the  tribunal,  he  received  a  warning  message  from  his  wife, 
who  had  just  awakened  from  a  harassing  dream  about  the  "just 
man."     He  repeated  the  question,  "Which  of  the  two  shall  I  re 


A.D.  30.        JESUS  CONDEMNED  BY  PILATE.  201 

lease  to  you?"  and  they  replied,  "Not  this  one,  but  Barabhas!" 
Again  he  tried  to  bring  them  to  reason,  and  to  revive  their  interest 
in  Christ,  by  asking,  "What  will  ye  then  that  I  shall  do  to  him 
whom  ye  call  the  King  of  the  Jews  9"  The  answer  was  ready, 
"Crucify  him."  Still  Pilate  made  a  third  appeal:  "Why,  what 
evil  hath  he  done?"  and,  again  declaring  that  he  found  no  fault  in 
him,  he  proposed  the  strange  compromise  to  scourge  him  and  let 
him  go !  But  by  this  time  the  people,  always  ready  for  sedition, 
and  continually  prompted  by  the  priests,  were  roused  to  the  verge 
of  tumult.  The  loud  cries  of  "Crucify  him  !"  prevailed  over  rea- 
son and  conscience ;  and  Pilate  released  Barabbas,  and  yielded  up 
Jesus  to  their  will.  But  first  Pilate  washed  his  hands  before  the 
people,  protesting,  "  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person  : 
see  ye  to  it;"  and  they  accepted  the  tremendous  responsibility: 
"His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  children"  (Matt,  xxvii.  15-26; 
Mark  xv.  6-15  ;   Luke  xxiii.  13-25  ;  John  xviii.  30,  40). 

Jesus  was  now  handed  over  to  the  Roman  soldiers,  whose  brutal- 
ity was  made  more  cruel  by  their  contempt  and  hatred  for  the  sedi- 
tious Jews,  over  whose  peasant  king  they  now  celebrated  a  mock 
triumph.  To  the  torture  of  the  scourging  which  always  preceded 
crucifixion,  their  wanton  wit  added  the  cruel  mockery  of  the  insignia 
of  royalty — the  crown  of  thorns,  the  purple  robe,  and  the  reed  for 
a  sceptre,  while  they  mingled  the  parody  of  homage  with  blows  and 
spitting  in  his  face  (Matt,  xxvii.  26-30 ;  Mark  xv.  15-10;  John 
xix.  1-3). 

The  scene  seems  to  have  suggested  to  Pilate  one  more  effort  to 
save  Jesus,  in  which,  if  unsuccessful,  he  would  at  least  indulge  his 
levity  by  an  insult  to  the  Jews.  As  a  proof  that  he  believed  him 
innocent,  he  brought  him  out  and  showed  him  invested  with  the  in- 
signia of  royalty  I  But  the  insult  excited  rage,  and  not  compas- 
sion ;  and  the  cry  was  again,  "Crucify  him  !"  "Take  you  him  and 
crucify  him  ;  for  I  find  no  fault  in  him,"  rejoined  Pilate,  knowing 
that  they  dared  not  take  him  at  his  word  ;  while  they  cried  that  he 
deserved  death  according  to  their  law,  "because  he  made  himself 
the  Sox  of  God."  Pilate's  reluctance  had  for  some  time  shown  a 
mixture  of  superstitious  fear,  which  these  words  raised  to  the  high- 
est pitch.  Leading  Jesus  back  into  the  hall,  he  asked  him,  "  Whence 
art  thou?"  but  received  no  answer;  and  when  he  urged  the  ques- 
tion by  speaking  of  his  power  to  crucify  or  to  release  him,  Jesus 
told  him  that  he  could  have  no  power  at  all  over  him  unless  it  were 
given  him  from  above,  and  with  divine  authority  pronounced  the 
guilt  of  his  betrayers  the  greater.  Pilate  was  now  determined,  if 
possible,  to  release  him  ;  but  the  Jews  knew  how  to  work  upon  a 
fear  more  present  to  him  than  that  of  the  last  judgment :   "  If  thou 


292  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY  Chap.  XXV. 

let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend."  The  dread  of  being 
denounced  to  Tiberius  for  acquitting  a  usurper  was  decisive  to  his 
weak  and  selfish  spirit.  Taking  his  seat  in  the  open  place  called 
Gabbatha  (the  pavement), 10  in  full  view  of  the  temple  and  the  people, 
just  as  the  sun  had  risen,  Pilate  passed  sentence  on  him  whom  he 
had  so  often  declared  innocent,  and  of  whose  right  to  be  his  Judge 
he  was  not  unaware.  Still  venting  the  reproaches  of  his  conscience 
in  insults  on  his  instigators,  he  again  said  to  the  Jews,  "Behold 
your  King!"  "Away  with  him!  crucify  him!"  was  still  the  an- 
swer. And  when  he  asked,  "  Shall  I  crucify  your  King  ?"  the  chief 
priests,  in  their  rage,  abjured  the  independence  which  was  the  strong- 
est passion  of  a  Jew,  "  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar  "  (Matt,  xxvii. 
2G-30;  Mark  xv.  15-19;  John  xix.  1-16). 

The  providence  of  God  took  them  at  their  word,  when  their  last 
efforts  for  freedom  ended  in  their  dispersion  over  all  the  world.  No 
less  signal  was  the  retribution  which  befell  the  other  actors  in  this 
greatest  crime  of  the  world's  history.  The  unjust  judge  afterwards 
incurred  the  very  displeasure  which  he  dreaded,  and  only  put  an 
end  to  his  exile  by  suicide.  Herod  also  died  in  exile  (see  p.  241), 
and  Caiaphas  was  deposed.  But  there  was  no  delay  in  the  fate  of 
Judas.  Seized  with  remorse  as  soon  as  he  saw  his  Master  con- 
demned, he  carried  back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief 
priests,  and  confessed  his  sin,  hoping  perhaps  that  good  might  yet 
be  done,  by  this  assertion  of  Christ's  innocence.  Their  only  answer 
was,  "What  is  that  to  us?  See  thou  to  that  !"  and,  casting  down 
the  money  on  the  pavement  of  the  temple,  he  went  and  hanged 
himself.  With  the  scrupulousness  of  religious  formalism,  the  men 
who  had  used  his  treason  decided  that  the  thirty  silver  pieces,  as  the 
price  of  blood,  must  not  be  put  back  into  the  treasury ;  so  they 
purchased  with  them  the  potter's  field  without  the  city,  as  a  burial- 
place  for  strangers,  thereby  fulfilling  to  the  very  letter  a  prophecy 
of  Zechariah  (Zech.  xi.  12,  foil.).  The  field  thus  purchased  seems 
to  have  been  the  place  where  Judas  committed  suicide,  and  the 
double  memorial  of  the  scene  and  the  price  of  blood  was  preserved 
bv  its  name,  Aceldama,  the  field  of  blood  (Matt,  xxvii.  3-10;  Acts 
i.  18,19). 

Meanwhile  that  great  sacrifice  w-as  accomplished,  the  Gospel  rec- 
ord of  which  we  should  not  dare  to  touch  but  for  the  need  of  some 
remarks  on  the  manner  and  place  and  time  of  the  execution,  the  in- 
cidents that  marked  it,  and  the  sayings  which  our  Saviour  uttered 
from  the  cross.      It  was  a  Roman  execution,  conducted  in  the  usual 

10  This  was  a  paved  platform  on  the  ridge  of  the  rock  between  the  castle 
of  Autonia  and  the  western  corner  of  the  temple. 


A.D.  30.  THE  CRUCIFIXION.  293 

forms  of  crucifixion,  but  with  some  important  variations ;  but  sev- 
eral important  details  must  be  left  for  future  study. 

(1.)  The  place  of  execution  was  necessarily  without  the  city  (Acts 
vii.  58;  Heb.  xiii.  11-13;  comp.  Exod.  xxix.  14;  Lev.  iv.  11, 12,  21; 
vi.  30 ;  ix.  11 ;  xvi.  27 ;  Num.  xix.  3)  ;  but  its  exact  site  is  unknown. 
It  was  near  one  of  the  gates,  and  beside  a  public  road,  but  there  is 
no  mention  of  its  being  on  a  "hill"  or  "Mount."  The  sacred 
name  of  Calvary,  which  our  version  has  only  in  St.  Luke,  is  the 
Latin  translation  (calvarium,  "  skull  ")  for  the  Greek  word  (tcpaviov), 
by  which  all  four  Evangelists  explain  the  Hebrew  name  Golgotha, 
" place  of  a  skull,"  which  implies  the  horrid  signs  that  marked  its 
use  (Matt,  xxvii.  33,  34  ;  Mark  xv.  22,  23  ;  Luke  xxiii.  33 ;  John 
xix.  17). 

(2.)  The  Bearing  of  the  Cross. — To  add  to  the  ignominy  of  this 
servile  form  of  death,  the  condemned  carried  his  cross  to  the  place 
of  execution  ;  and  Christ  was  thus  led  forth,  with  two  criminals  who 
were  "  justly  in  the  same  condemnation  "  (Luke  xxii.  32,  41  ;  comp. 
Isa.  liii.  12).  The  act  of  "  taking  up  the  cross"  had  already  been 
used  by  Christ  for  the  sacred  figure  which  it  has  ever  since  express- 
ed (Matt.  x.  38 ;  xvi.  24  ;  Mark  viii.  34  ;  x.  21 ;  Luke  ix.  23 ;  xiv.  27 ; 
Heb.  xiii.  12,  13)  ;  and  everlasting  honor  was  laid  upon  Simon,  a 
man  of  Cyrene,  whom  the  soldiers  caught  as  he  was  entering  the 
city,  and  compelled  him  to  bear  the  load  under  which  Christ  had 
sunk.  It  was  then  that  he  bade  the  women,  who  followed  him 
weeping,  to  weep  rather  for  the  judgments  that  were  coming  on  the 
land  (Matt,  xxvii.  31-32;  Mark  xv.  20,  21  ;  Luke  xxiii.  26-32; 
John  xix.  17). 

(3.)  The  Crucifixion. — Arrived  at  the  place  of  execution,  the  con- 
demned were  stripped  and  fastened  to  the  cross,  which  was  usually 
of  the  form  familiar  to  us  under  the  name  of  the  "  Roman  cross  "u 
but  not  nearly  so  high  as  is  commonly  represented.  The  feet  of 
the  sufferer  were  only  a  foot  or  two  above  the  ground — a  fact  of 
some  weight,  as  showing  that  Jesus  suffered  in  the  midst  of  his  per- 
secutors,  and  not  looking  down  from  above  their  heads.  The  body 
was  either  nailed  or  bound  by  cords  to  the  cross,  or  in  both  ways. 
Our  Lord  was  nailed  both  byjhe  hands  and  feet,  as  the  prophets 
had  foretold;12  a  method  more  exquisitely  painful  at  first,  though 
tending  to  shorten  the  torture.  When  the  cross  was  not  already 
standing,  the  sufferer,  as  in  our  Saviour's  case,  was  fastened  to  it  as 

11  That  is,  the  form  of  +,  the  two  pieces  being  unequal,  as  distinguished 
from  the  "Greek  cross,"  +,  with  equal  arms,  and  the  diagonal  or  "St.  An- 
drew's Cross,"  x  ;  not  to  mention  ornamented  forms. 

12  Psa.  xxii.  10 ;  Zech.  xii.  10  ;  John  xx.  25,  27,  etc. :  comp.  Rev.  i.  7,  the  lat- 
ter passage  referring  to  all  his  wounds. 


294  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

it  lay  upon  the  ground,  and  the  shock  when  it  was  dropped  into  the 
hole  or  socket  must  have  been  terrible.  To  deaden  the  sense  of 
these  tortures,  some  drug  was  usually  administered  ;  but  our  Lord 
refused  the  mixture  of  wine  and  myrrh  thus  offered  him,  as  he  had 
abstained  from  wine  at  the  Paschal  Supper.  He  still  observed  the 
meek  silence  which  Isaiah  had  foretold,  till  all  the  horrid  details 
were  accomplished,  and  he  hung  upon  the  cross  between  the  two 
malefactors,  on  his  right  and  on  his  left;  being  thus  emphatically 
"  numbered  with  the  transgressors "  (Matt,  xxvii.  38 ;  Mark  xv. 
27,  28 ;  Luke  xxiii.  33  ;  John  xix.  18). 

(4.)  The  "First  Saying  "  from  the  Cross. — It  was  then  that  he 
uttered  the  first  of  the  "Seven  Sayings,"  which  have  ever  been  re- 
vered as  his  dying  words,  a  prayer  for  his  murderers — "Father,  for- 
give them,  for  they  knoiu  not  what  they  do"  (Luke  xxiii.  34). 

(5.)  The  time  of  our  Saviour's  crucifixion  was  the  third  hour  (or 
9  o'clock  a.m.),  the  very  time  when  the  morning  sacrifice  was  of- 
fered (Mark  xv.  25)  ;  and  his  death  was  at  the  ninth  hour,  which 
was  the  time  of  the  evening  sacrifice — the  whole  space  of  six  hours 
being  divided  at  noon  by  the  beginning  of  the  miraculous  darkness. 

(6.)  Parting  of  Christ's  Garments. — The  execution  was  carried 
out,  and  the  cross  watched,  by  a  guard  of  four  soldiers,  with  a  cen- 
turion ;  and  the  garments  of  the  sufferers  were  their  perquisite. 
Four  parts  being  made,  there  remained  the  upper  robe,  woven 
throughout  without  a  seam,  the  type  of  Christ's  perfect  righteous- 
ness, and  the  source  of  healing  to  many  who  had  touched  it.  As 
it  would  have  been  spoiled  by  dividing  it,  the  soldiers  decided  to 
cast  lots  for  it,  thus  fulfilling  another  prophecy  :  "They  parted  my 
raiment  among  them,  and  for  my  vesture  they  did  cast  lots  "  (Matt. 
xxvii.  35  ;   Luke  xxiii.  34  ;  John  xix.  23  ;   Psa.  xxii.  18). 

(7.)  The  Inscription  on  the  Cross. — The  custom  of  writing  up  the 
culprit's  crime  on  a  scroll,  or  label,  above  his  head  gave  Pilate  an- 
other opportunity  of  mortifying  the  Jews,  while  bearing  unconscious 
witness  to  the  truth.  To  avoid  all  ambiguity,  he  wrote  the  title  in 
Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin.  The  various  readings  of  the  Evangel- 
ists give  a  striking  case  of  their  agreement  in  substance  amidst 
varieties  of  expression. 

"This  is  Jesus,  tiie  Kino  of  inc  Jews"  (Matthew). 

"The  Kino  of  the  Jews"  (Mark). 

"This  is  the  King  of  the  Jews"  (Luke). 

"Jesus  of  Nazabeth,  the  Kino  of  the  Jews"  (Johu). 

Pilate's  shaft  did  not  miss  its  mark.  The  chief  priests  wished 
him  to  amend  the  inscription  thus:  " He  said,  I  am  King  of  the 
Jews;"  but  he  silenced  them  with  the  answer,  "What  I  have  writ- 


A.D.  30.  THE  SEVEN  SAYINGS.  295 

ten  I  have  written"  (Matt,  xxvii.  .31-38;  Mark  xv.  20-28;  Luke 
xxiii.  26-34,  38  ;  John  xix.  17-24). 

(8.)  The  "Second  Saying  "—to  the  Penitent  Robber.—  For  the  first 
three  hours  (9-12  a.m.)  Jesus  hung  upon  the  cross,  exposed  to  all 
the  insults  of  the  rulers,  and  of  the  rabble,  whose  cries  had  changed 
with  his  change  of  fortune.  Some  stood  to  enjoy  the  sight;  while 
others,  passing  in  and  out  of  the  neighboring  city-gate,  wagged 
their  heads,  and  taunted  him  witli  the  very  prophecy  which  was  be- 
ing fulfilled — the  destruction  of  the  temple  of  his  body,  that  it 
might  be  raised  again  in  three  days.  A  strong  temptation  was 
added  to  these  taunts.  He  was  challenged  to  prove  his  Divine 
power  and  kingdom  by  coming  down  from  the  cross  ;  nay,  even  the 
chief  priests  offered  to  believe  him  on  that  sign,  though  they  dis- 
believed the  still  higher  proof  given  by  his  resurrection.  Of  the 
very  culprits  who  hung  beside  him,  one  joined  in  the  railing,  and 
dared  to  demand  their  deliverance  and  his  as  a  proof  that  he  was 
the  Christ.  But  the  other  reproved  his  comrade's  madness,  con- 
fessing the  justice  of  their  sentence  and  bearing  witness  to  Christ's 
innocence,  and  then  turned  to  him  with  the  prayer,  "  Lord,  re- 
member me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  Jesus  opened 
his  lips  for  the  second  time  with  these  words,  "Verily  I  say  unto 
thee,  To-day  thou  slialt  be  with  me  in  paradise  "  (Matt,  xxvii.  39- 
44  ;  Mark  xv.  29-32 ;  Luke  xxiii.  35-37,  39-43). 

(9.)  The  Wo7>ien  at  the  Cross — Christ's  "  Third  Saying,"  to  St. 
John. — Three  women,  with  the  beloved  disciple,  had  dared  to  stay 
by  his  cross.  They  were  "the  three  Marys:"  his  mother;  her 
sister,  the  wife  of  Clopas  ;  and  Mary  of  Magdala.  With  filial  love, 
even  in  that  hour  of  agony,  he  bade  his  mother  behold  a  son  in  the 
beloved  disciple,  and  that  disciple  to  look  upon  her  as  his  mother; 
and  henceforth  Mary  found  a  home  with  John  (John  xix.  25-27). 

(10.)  The  Miraculous  Darkness,  and  the  Fourth,  Fifth,  and  Sixth 
Sayings. — It  was  now  noon,  and  yet  a  supernatural  darkness  rested 
upon  all  the  land,  from  the  sixth  hour  to  the  ninth  hour,  as  if  to 
veil  the  last  agonies  of  the  Redeemer  from  the  eyes  of  men.13  But 
far  deeper  than  that  darkness  was  the  gloom  that  weighed  upon  the 
Saviour's  soul  as  he  bore  the  whole  burden  of  the  Divine  wratli  for 
the  sins  of  all  men.  To  that  awful  mystery  our  only  guide  is  in 
the  words  with  which  at  the  ninth  hour  he  broke  the  solemn  si- 
lence, "My  God!  my  God!  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  words 
already  used  prophetically  by  David  in  the  great  Psalm  which  de- 

13  An  eclipse  of  the  sun  is  quite  out  of  the  question  ;  for  the  Jewish  months 
were  strictly  lunar ;  and  the  Passover  was  in  the  middle  of  the  month,  just 
when  the  moon  was  full.  The  yonng  reader  may  remember  this  by  observ- 
ing the  pluise  of  the  moon  at  Good-Friday  and  Easter. 


29G  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

scribes  the  Messiah's  sufferings.  Their  sense  was  lost  upon  the  by. 
standers,  who,  remembering  the  connection  of  the  promised  Elijah 
with  Christ,  caught  at  the  sound  of  the  word  "  Eli  "  (My  God)  as 
a  call  for  the  prophet.  At  this  moment  the  Sufferer's  mortal  frame 
endured  its  last  agony  of  intense  thirst,  and,  to  fulfill  one  more 
prophecy,  he  exclaimed,  "I  thirst."  One  of  the  by-standers  filled 
a  sponge,  from  a  vessel  standing  near,  with  the  mixture  of  acid  wine 
and  water,  which  was  the  common  drink  of  the  Roman  soldiers, 
and,  lifting  it  on  a  stalk  of  hyssop,  put  it  to  his  mouth,  while  the 
rest  said,  "Let  us  see  if  Elijah  will  come  to  help  him"14  (Matt. 
xxvii.  45-49  ;  Mark  xv.  33-3G  ;  Luke  xxiii.  44,  45  ;  John  xix.  28, 
29). 

(11.)  The  Seventh  Saying,  and  the  Death  of  Jesus  Christ. — And 
now  all  that  man  could  inflict  had  been  endured;  all  that  the  Son 
of  God  could  do  and  bear  for  man  had  been  done  and  suffered. 
The  end  of  his  agony  and  the  completion  of  his  redeeming  work  are 
both  announced  by  the  loud  cry,  "  It  is  finished  ;"  the  soul  which 
had  animated  his  mortal  body  is  yielded  back  to  God  with  those 
words  of  perfect  resignation,  "Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit ;"  and,  bowing  his  head  upon  his  breast,  he  expired.13 

(12.)  Portents  at  Christ's  Death — Conversion  of  the  Centurion. — • 
His  death  was  followed  by  portents  not  to  be  overlooked  by  any  of 
the  multitudes  assembled  at  Jerusalem.  The  priest,  who  entered  the 
holy  place  at  this  very  hour,  with  the  blood  of  the  evening  sacrifice, 
saw  the  vail  rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  That  vail 
was  the  special,  as  the  temple  itself  was  a  more  general,  symbol  of 
Christ's  body,  the  visible  covering  which  enshrined  the  abode  of 
Deity;  and  the  one  was  rent,  and  the  other  broken,  to  show  that 
"a  new  and  living  way  was  consecrated  for  ns  to  enter  into  the 
holiest  of  all,  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  through  the  vail,  that  is  to  say, 
his  flesh"  (Heb.  x.  19,  foil.).  The  rocks  which  surrounded  Jeru- 
salem were  rent  with  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  graves  were 
opened  ;  and  many  of  the  saints  rose  and  were  seen  by  many  in  the 
citv  after  his  resurrection.  Even  such  wonders  were  not  enough  to 
break  down  the  stubborn  spirit  of  the  Jews  ;  and,  at  the  most,  they 
departed  with  deep  feelings  of  wondering  grief.  But  the  Roman 
centurion  saw  enough  in  the  manner  of  Christ's  death  and  in  his 
expiring  words  to  make  him  glorify  God  by  the  confession,  "Truly 
this  was  a  just  man  !     Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God !"     The  most 

li  It  is  still  believed  that  drinking  causes  the  death  of  impaled  persons, 
and  water  is  withheld,  to  prolong  their  sufferings. 

15  Matt,  xxvii.  50 ;  Mark  xv.  37  ;  Lnke  xxiii.  40 ;  John  xix.  30.  It  deserves 
notice  that,  in  the  last  words,  Matthew  and  Mark  mention  only  the  loud  cry, 
Luke  the  prayer  of  resignation,  and  John  the  proclamation,  "It  is  finished.* 


A.U.  30.  WONDERS  AT  CHRIST'S  DEATH.  297 

attached  of  his  friends,  including  the  devoted  women  who  followed 
him  from  Galilee,  only  ventured  to  view  the  scene  from  a  distance 
(Matt,  xxvii.  51-56;  Marie  xv.  3S-41  ;  Luke  xxiii.  45-47).  Only 
"the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved"  kept  his  station  by  the  cross,  a 
fact  which  we  learn  from  his  emphatic  testimony  as  an  eye-witness 
of  what  followed. 

(13.)  His  Death  made  sure —  the  Water  and  the  Blood. — The  day 
was  now  drawing  to  a  close,  and  at  sunset  (just  after  6  p.m.)  the 
Sabbath  would  begin.  "That  Sabbath-day  was  a  high  day  ;"  es- 
pecially as  being  the  second  day  of  the  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread, 
when  the  first-fruits  of  the  harvest  were  offered  in  the  temple,  and 
whence  the  fifty  days  were  reckoned  to  the  Day  of  Pentecost.  For 
that  Sabbath  this  day  itself  was  the  "preparation."  This  state- 
ment, twice  made  by  St.  John,  seems  to  refer  to  the  custom  of  pre- 
paring for  any  sacred  festival  on  the  previous  day.  On  this  "prep- 
aration day"  especially,  they  would  put  away  all  pollutions  and 
signs  of  mourning  that  might  mar  the  coming  feast.  So,  though 
they  had  not  scrupled  to  enact  on  it  a  deed  which  would  have  pro- 
faned any  day,  they  could  not  endure  its  defilement  by  the  con- 
sequences of  their  judicial  murder.  Pilate  readily  granted  their 
request,  that  the  sufferings  of  the  crucified  might  be  ended  by 
breaking  their  legs  (for  to  dispatch  them  by  the  sword  was  deemed 
too  honorable),  and  that  they  might  be  buried.16  This  was  done 
to  the  two  malefactors  ;  but  as  Christ  was  found  to  be  dead  al- 
ready, his  limbs  were  left  unbroken.  To  make  sure,  however,  of 
his  death,  one  of  the  soldiers  pierced  his  side  with  a  spear ;  and 
blood  and  water  were  seen  to  flow  mingled  from  the  wound.  Thus 
were  fulfilled  both  the  prophetic  ordinance  of  the  true  Paschal 
Lamb,  "A  bone  of  him  shall  not  be  broken,"  and  that  other  proph- 
ecy, "  They  shall  look  on  him  whom  they  pierced  "  (John  xix.  31- 
42 ;  comp.  Exod.  xii.  46 ;  Psa.  xxxiv.  20  ;  Zech.  xii.  10  ;  Psa.  xxii. 
16,  17  ;  Rev.  i.  7).  Most  justly  does  St.  John  lay  the  utmost  stress 
on  the  truth  of  his  own  testimony,  as  an  eye-witness,  to  this  incident, 
not  only  for  the  spiritual  sense  which  he  afterwards  gave  it  (1  John 
v.  6,  8),  but  as  the  very  turning-point  on  which  the  credibility  of  the 
Gospel  rests.  Tt  established  beyond  a  doubt  the  reality  of  Christ's 
death,  without  full  proof  of  which  the  evidence  of  his  resurrection 
would  always  have  been  questionable.  And  the  mutter  was  put  be- 
yond all  dispute  by  the  care  of  Pilate  to  ascertain  from  the  centu- 
rion the  truth  of  a  death  so  unusually  speedy  (Mark  xv.  44,  45) 
The  tortures  of  crucifixion  were  often  prolonged  three  days,  and 

16  The  Romans  generally  allowed  the  body  to  rot  upon  the  cross;  bat  in 
consequence  oi'Deut.  xxi.  22,  23,  an  express  national  exception  was  made  ia 
favor  of  the  Jews. 


298  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXV. 

even  more ;  but  the  exhaustion  of  our  Saviour's  toil-worn  frame,  by 
his  night  of  agony,  and  by  his  inexpressible  mental  anguish  on  the 
cross,  are  causes  adequate  to  explain  his  dying  in  six  hours  ;  while 
the  abundant  flow  of  lymph  and  blood,  due  to  the  piercing  of  the 
pericardium  (the  membrane  round  the  heart),  makes  it  probable 
that  he  died  literally  of  "  a  broken  heart." 

(14.)  The  Entonibment  of  Jesus. — Meanwhile  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thaea,  a  rich  man  and  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim,  who  had  been 
no  party  to  their  councils  against  Jesus,  now  boldly  avowed  his 
secret  discipleship  by  coming  to  Pilate  and  begging  the  body  of 
Jesus.  Pilate  consented,  as  soon  as  he  had  satisfied  himself  of  his 
real  death.  Joseph's  example  gave  courage  to  Nicodemus,  who 
brought  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes  to  anoint  the  corpse ;  even 
as  the  Jewish  kings  used  to  be  buried  in  spices.  The  near  ap- 
proach of  the  Sabbath  left  no  time  for  the  final  fune'-al  ceremonies. 
They  took  down  the  body  from  the  cross ;  and,  wrapping  it  hastily 
in  linen,  with  the  spices,  they  laid  it  in  a  new  rock-hewn  sepulchre, 
which  Joseph  had  made  for  himself,  in  a  garden  close  at  hand.  To 
secure  the  sepulchre  during  the  Sabbath,  they  rolled  a  great  stone 
against  its  door,  and  departed.  Thus  was  the  prophecy  fulfilled, 
that  the  Messiah  should  "  make  his  grave  with  the  rich"  (Isa.  liii. 
9).  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary,  the  sister  of  Christ's  mother,  who 
had  sat  opposite  the  sepulchre  during  the  burial,  and  had  seen  how 
the  body  was  laid  in  it,17  went  home,  postponing  the  preparation  of 
their  spices  and  ointments,  for  the  full  performance  of  the  funeral 
rites  till  after  the  Sabbath;  and  then  "they  rested  the  Sabbath- 
day  according  to  the  commandment."  The  mother  of  Jesus  seems 
to  "have  been  led  home  from  the  cross,  when  the  body  was  taken 
down,  by  John,  her  new-found  son  (Matt,  xxvii.  57-61  ;  Mark  xv. 
42-47  ;  Luke  xxiii.  50-56  ;  John  xix.  38-42). 

7.  The  Sabbath-dan  (Easter-eve)  :  Saturday,  the  lGth  of  Nisan 
(April  1th)  from  the  preceding  Sunset.— The  sacred  narrative  leaves 
the  disciples  in  the  overwhelming  grief  and  desolation  amidst  which 
they  kept  this  Sabbath  ;  having,  as  we  may  infer  from  the  events 
of  the  next  day,  reassembled  from  their  dispersion,  and  looking  for- 
ward, though  with  only  the  faintest  hope,  to  the  third  day,  on  which 
Jesus  had  foretold  his  resurrection  (see  Luke  xxiv.  21).  The  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees  also  remembered  the  prediction  with  alarm, 
and,  on  the  pretense  that  his  disciples  might  steal  away  the  body, 
they  obtained  Pilate's  permission  to  set  a  watch  of  soldiers  over 
the  tomb,  saw  that  it  was  securely  shut,  and  sealed  the  stone  (Matt. 
xxvii.  G2-66). 

1T  Hence  they  were  prepared  to  eee  at  once  that  Jesus  had  left  the  sepul 
ihre. 


■«hp 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  RESURRECTION  AND  ASCENSION  OF  CHRIST. — FROM  EASTER-DAY 
TO  ASCENSION-DAY,  APRIL  8tH  TO  MAY  17tII,  A.D.  30. 

§  1.  Sunday  the  17th  of  Nisan  (April  8th).  The  First  Lord's 
Day — "  Easter-day." 

"Oh!  clay  of  clays!  shall  hearts  set  free 
No  minstrel  rapture  find  for  Thee? 
Thou  art  the  Snn  of  other  clays— 
They  shine  by  giving  back  thy  rays."1 

As  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  the  great  fact,  so  the  clay  of  its 
occurrence  is  the  great  clay  of  Christianity.  From  the  time  of  the 
apostles  its  weekly  return  has  been  called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord's 
Day  (Rev.  i.  10);  and  to  this  e;>och  of  the  new  creation  of  all 
things,  marked  by  the  new  life  of  Christ,  all  the  permanent  sanc- 
tity of  the  primeval  .Sabbath  was  transferred.2 

1  "  Christian  Year :"  Easter-day. 

2  This  is  not  the  place  to  vindicate  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Day.  The 
sacred  observance  of  the  first  day  of  the  xoeek  is  seen  in  such  passages  as  John 
xx.  20  ;  Acts  sx.  7 ;  1  Cor.  xvi.  2. 


300  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXVI 

Great  difficulties  have  been  found  in  making  out  the  history  of 
the  day  from  the  four  Gospels  ;3  but  these  difficulties  will  yield  to 
a  careful  study,  based  on  the  principle  that  each  Evangelist  wrote 
with  a  special  purpose  and  from  special  sources  of  information.  It 
does  not  belong  to  our  work  to  attempt  a  discussion  of  their  several 
statements ;  but  to  give  briefly  the  result  of  such  discussion  in  the 
most  probable  order  of  those  appearances  of  Jesus  to  his  disciples, 
which  satisfied  them  that  "  the  Lokd  was  risen  indeed." 

i.  The  Resurrection  itself  is  related  only  by  St.  Matthew:  "  Be= 
Mold,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  :  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  de- 
scended from  heaven,  and  came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the 
door,  and  sat  upon  it.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and 
his  raiment  white  as  snow :  and  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  did 
shake,  and  became  as  dead  men  "  (Matt,  xxviii.  2-4).  That  this 
account  was  derived,  in  part  at  least,  from  one  or  more  of  the  Ro- 
man soldiers,  professing  afterwards  that  belief  which  such  a  scene 
ought  to  have  compelled,  is  probable  from  the  acquaintance  which 
the  same  Evangelist  shows  with  the  fact  that  they  were  at  first 
bribed  to  give  out  the  absurd  story  that  Roman  soldiers  had  slept 
on  duty,  and  while  asleep  had  somehow  come  to  know  that  the  body 
was  stolen  by  the  disciples  (Matt,  xxviii.  11-15). 

The  time  of  the  resurrection  is  stated  by  St.  Mark  as  ''■early  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week,"  which  began  from  the  sunset  of  the  even- 
ing before  (Mark  xvi.  9).  It  had  already  taken  place  when  the  first 
visit  was  paid  to  the  sepulchre,  "while  it  was  yet  dark"  (John  xx. 
1),  "as  it  began  to  dawn  "  (Matt,  xxviii.  1).  The  portion,  how- 
ever brief,  of  this  day  (according  to  Jewish  reckoning)  that  Jesus 
remained  in  the  tomb  is  reckoned  as  one  day,  like  the  brief  interval 
between  his  burial  and  the  Friday's  sunset,  and  thus  he  remained 
three  days  in  the  earth  (Matt.  xii.  40;  xvi.  21  ;  xx.  19  ;  xxvii.  G3 ; 
Mark  viii.  31  ;  ix.  31  ;  x.  34  ;  Luke  ix.  22  ;  xviii.  33  ;  John  ii.  19, 
etc.). 

ii.  Visit  of  the  Women  to  the  Sepulchre. — The  Jewish  custom  of 
resuming  the  occupations  of  common  life  the  moment  the  Sabbath's 
sun  had  set  had  enabled  the  two  Marys  to  purchase  on  that  even- 
ing the  spices  needed  to  complete  the  embalmment  which  Nicodc 
mus  had  hastily  performed.  At  the  approach  of  dawn  they  came 
to  the  sepulchre,  with  certain  other  women,  among  whom  was  Jo- 
anna, to  perform  this  pious  service,  wondering,  as  they  went  along, 
how  they  could  roll  away  the  great  stone  from  its  mouth.  They 
reached  the  sepulchre  at  sunrise,  and  found  the  stone  removed  . 
and,  entering,  they  saw  that  the  body  of  Jesus  was  gone  (Matt 
xxviii.  1  ;  Mark  xvi.  1-4  ;  Luke  xxiv.  1-3, 10  ;  John  xx.  1,  2). 
3  To  which  must  be  added  the  statement  of  St.  Paul.l  Cor.  xv.  4-7. 


A.D.  30.  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  301 

iii.  Mary  Magdalene  carries  the  news  to  Peter  and  John. — The 
ardent  love  of  Mary  Magdalene  prompted  her  at  once  to  run  and 
tell  Peter  and  John  of  the  trick  that  she  supposed  had  been  played 
by  the  enemies  of  Christ  in  rcmoviug  his  body  beyond  the  reach  of 
his  disciples.4 

iv.  Vision  of  an  Angel  to  the  Women  in  the  Sepulchre. — Mean- 
while the  other  women  had  entered  the  recesses  of  the  rock-hewn 
sepulchre,  and  there  they  saw  an  angel  sitting  on  the  right  side,  in 
the  form  of  a  young  man  in  a  long  white  robe,  who  told  them  that 
Christ  had  risen  and  would  meet  his  disciples  in  Galilee,  with  other 
words  of  comfort  and  encouragement.5  Fear  at  the  vision,  and  joy 
at  the  tidings,  joined  to  hasten  the  flight  of  the  women  from  the 
sepulchre,  that  they  might  carry  the  news  to  the  disciples. 

v.  First  Appearance  of  Jesus — to  the  Women  on  their  Return  from 
the  Sepulchre. — Their  hasty  course  was  stayed  by  the  appearance 
and  greeting  of  Jesus  himself.  They  fell  down  to  worship  him, 
and  received  from  his  own  lips  the  same  message  that  the  angel 
had  given  them  (Matt,  xxviii.  9,  10).  The  apostles  and  other  dis- 
ciples received  the  intelligence  "as  idle  tales,"  not  being  yet  ready 
to  believe  the  truth  (Luke  xxiv.  0,  11). 

vi.  Visit  of  Peter  and  John  to  the  Scjndchre. — Peter  and  John 
himself  were  away  from  the  rest  of  ';  the  Eleven,"  probably  at  the 
house  of  the  latter.0  To  them  Mary  had  brought  word  that  the 
sepulchre  was  empty ;  and  while  the  other  women  were  giving  their 
fuller  tidings  to  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  Peter  and  John  ran  to  the 
sepulchi-e  to  see  for  themselves.  The  ardent  affection  of  "the  dis- 
ciple whom  Jesus  loved  "  carried  him  first  to  the  sepulchre :  he 
looked  in  and  saw  the  grave-clothes,  but  hesitated  to  enter;  while 
Peter,  coming  up,  at  once  went  in  and  saw  the  linen  clothes  lying 
as  they  had  been  left,  and  the  napkin  that  had  been  about  the  head 
of  Jesus  folded  together  by  itself.7  John  then  entered  and  saw  the 
same  spectacle  ;  and  while  Peter  only  wondered,  John  believed  ;  for, 
he  himself  takes  care  to  tell  us,  the  disciples  had  not  yet  understood 
the  prophecy  of  his  resurrection  (see  Psa.  xvi.  10 ;  Acts  ii.  25-31). 

4  John  xx.  2.  Throughout  the  whole  narrative,  John  speaks  of  the  events 
witnessed  by  himself. 

5  Matt,  xxviii.  5-8;  Mark  xvi.  5-S ;  Luke  xxiv.  4r-S.  St.  Luke,  in  speaking 
of  two  angels,  evidently  puts  into  one  this  and  the  subsequent  vision  of  angels 
to  Mary  Magdalene,  which  is  mentioned  only  by  St.  John. 

*  So  John  says  that,  after  their  visit  to  the  sepulchre,  they  returned  "  to 
their  own  home  "  (John  xx.  10). 

7  John  xx.  3-10;  comp.  Luke  xxiv.  12.  The  minuteness  of  this  record 
seems  to  be  intended  as  a  proof  that  the  body  could  not  have  beeu  stolen  by 
the  disciples;  for  they  would  have  carried  off  the  grave-clothes  with  it  iu 
thwir  haste. 


302  SCRIPTUEE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXVI. 

vii.  Second  Appearance  of  Jesus — to  Mary  Magdalene  at  the 
Sepulchre. — While  Peter  and  John  returned  home,  Mary,  who  had 
followed  them  hack  to  the  sepulchre,  stood  by  its  entrance  weeping ; 
and,  looking  into  the  sepulchre,  she  saw  two  angels  sitting,  at  the 
head  and  the  feet,  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  lain.  To  their  in- 
quiry why  she  wept,  she  answered,  "Because  they  have  taken  away 
my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him ;"  and  she  was 
turning  away,  to  leave  the  sepulchre  in  despair,  when  she  saw  Jesus 
standing  before  her,  though  she  knew  him  not,  even  when  he  asked 
her  why  she  wept.  Taking  him  for  the  keeper  of  the  garden,  she 
earnestly  entreated  him  to  tell  her  whither  he  had  removed  the 
body.  The  one  word,  ''Mary"  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  recalled  hei 
to  herself,  and  turning,  so  as  to  have  a  full  view  of  him  for  the  first 
time,  she  replied,  "Rabboni!"  that  is,  "Master!"  and  would  have 
embraced  him.  But,  with  the  mysterious  injunction,  "Touch  me 
not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father,"  he  sent  her  to  fore- 
warn his  brethren  of  his  ascension.  But  even  at  this  second  testi- 
mony the  disciples  remained  incredulous  (John  xx.  11-18;  Mark 
xvi.9-11). 

viii.  Third  Appearance  of  Jesus — to  St.  Peter. — St.  Paul  states, 
immediately  after  the  fact  of  our  Lord's  resurrection,  "that  he  was 
seen  of  Cephas,"  before  he  appeared  to  the  other  apostles  (1  Cor. 
xv.  5).  This  appearance  is  also  mentioned  incidentally,  but  very 
emphatically,  by  St.  Luke,  in  connection  with  the  journey  to  Em 
maus  (Luke  xxiv.  34). 

ix.  The  Journey  to  Emmaus — oar  Lord's  fourth  Appearance. — 
This  is  briefly  mentioned  by  St.  Mark  (Mark  xvi.  12,  13);  but  the 
deeply  interesting  narrative  of  St.  Luke  (Luke  xxiv.  13-35)  gives 
us  a  view  of  the  disciples'  state  of  mind  on  this  memorable  day. 
Two  of  them,  Cleopase  and  another,  left  the  city  after  the  visits 
paid  to  the  sepulchre  by  the  women  and  by  Peter  and  John,  and 
walked  to  Bmmaus,  a  village  about  seven  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
Their  only  object  seems  to  have  been  to  talk  freely  with  each  other 
respecting  the  bearing  of  the  recent  events  on  the  question  of  the 
Messiahship  of  Jesus,  and  the  doubtful  result  of  their  discussion  is 
expressed  in  the  exclamation,  "But  we  trusted  that  it  had  been  he 
which  should  have  redeemed  Israel !"  As  they  were  thus  engaged, 
Jesus  himself  joined  them,  but  a  spell  was  upon  their  eyes,  so  that 
they  did  not  know  him.  Every  reader  of  the  Gospel  is  familiar 
with  what  followed  ;  the  statement  of  their  anxious  reasonings  ; 
his  rebuke  of  their  ignorance  and  unbelief,  and  his  exposition  of 
the  Scriptures  which  foretold  his  sufferings  and  glory  ;  their  press- 

8  This  Cleopas  must  not  be  coufouuded  with  Clopas,  the  husband  of  Mary, 
the  sister  of  our  Lord's  mother. 


A.D.  30.  APPEARANCES  OF  JESUS.  303 

ing  him  to  stay  with  them  at  the  village  ;  and  his  being  made  known 
to  them  by  blessing  and  breaking  the  bread  at  their  evening  meal. 
They  hastened  back  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  apostles  assembled 
with  other  disciples  at  their  evening  meal  (Mark  xvi.  14),  in  a 
strangely  mingled  state  of  doubt  and  wonder ;  for  while  some  met 
them  with  the  news,  "The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,  and  hath  appear- 
ed to  Simon,"  their  own  full  account  of  his  converse  with  them  was 
still  received  with  unbelief. 

x.  Our  Lords  fifth  Appearance — to  the  assembled  Apostles,  except 
Thomas. — It  was  at  this  very  crisis  of  their  perplexity  that  Jesus 
crowned  his  separate  appearances  by  a  manifestation  of  himself  to 
the  apostles,  and  those  disciples  who  were  with  them.  His  sudden 
appearance  in  their  midst,  the  doors  of  the  room  being  shut  fast  for 
fear  of  the  Jews,  alarmed  them  with  the  idea  that  they  saw  a  spirit, 
though  he  greeted  them  with  the  words,  "Peace  be  unto  you!" 
But  he  called  them  to  feel  his  body,  and  showed  them  the  wounds 
in  his  hands  and  feet  and  side.  As  they  still  doubted,  he  ate  food 
before  them;  and  then  he  opened  their  minds  to  see  the  fulfillment 
of  all  that  had  been  spoken  of  him  in  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and 
the  Psalms  ;  and  to  know  their  own  mission  as  the  witnesses  of  his 
resurrection,  and  the  preachers  of  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
in  his  name  to  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  Then,  by  the 
sign  of  breathing  on  them,  he  indicated  the  conferring  of  that  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  was  actually  to  descend  upon  them  after 
his  ascension,  and  for  which  he  bade  them  to  wait  at  Jerusalem ; 
and  he  gave  them  the  authority  of  remitting  and  retaining  sins,  and 
the  promise  of  the  power  of  working  miracles.  Such  was  our  Lord's 
last  appearance  to  his  disciples  on  the  day  of  his  resurrection  (Mark 
xvi.  14-18;  Luke  xxiv.  3G-49  ;  John  xx.  19-23 ;  1  Cor.  xv.  5, 
"then  of  the  twelve"). 

§  2.   Sunday  the  2ith  of  Nisan,  April  IGth— u  Low  Sunday." 

xi.  Christ's  second  Appearance  to  the  assembled  Disciples,  with 
Thomas — the  sixth  in  all.  The  fact  of  our  finding  the  disciples 
again  assembled  on  the  Jirst  day  of  the  following  week,  and  our 
Saviour's  blessing  this  meeting  with  his  presence,  goes  far  to  mark 
the  Lord's  Day  as  sacred.  It  was  then  that  the  incredulous  Thomas 
was  taught,  by  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses,  not  only  to  share  his 
brethren's  faith,  but  to  go  beyond  them  by  recognizing  in  the  Lord's 
resurrection  a  proof  of  his  divinity.  But  Jesus  did  not  grant  the 
proof  that  Thomas  required  without  pronouncing  a  higher  blessing 
upon  those  who  are  content  to  believe  on  the  testimonv  of  others 
(John  xx.  24-29). 

§  3.  xii.  Third  Appearance  of Jesus  to  the  Apostles  {seven  if  them) 
by  the  Lake  of  Galilee — the  seventh  in  all.      The  Evangelists  now 


304  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXVL 

cease  to  specify  days.  St.  Matthew  tells  us  that  the  eleven  disciples 
went  away  into  Galilee,  as  they  had  been  commanded  when  first 
the  resurrection  was  announced  to  them  (Matt,  xxviii.  16);  but 
their  meeting  with  Jesus  in  the  mountain  he  had  appointed  them 
muat  have  been  subsequent  to  that  morning  by  the  Lake  of  Galilee, 
of  which  St.  John  has  given  us  so  full  and  touching  an  account 
(John  xxi.  1-24).  Seven  of  the  apostles — Peter,  Thomas,  Na= 
thanael,  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  two  others  who  are  not  named — 
had  returned  to  their  avocations  as  fishermen,  when  Jesus  revealed 
himself  to  them  in  a  manner  strikingly  similar  to  that  of  their  former 
calling,  by  the  sign  of  a  miraculous  draught  of  fishes.  The  one 
striking  difference,  that  now  the  net  did  not  break,  showed  the  com- 
ing of  the  time  when  they  were  to  be  indeed  "  fishers  of  men."  It 
was  then  that  our  Lord  drew  from  Peter  the  avowal  of  his  love,  re- 
peated thrice  as  the  revocation  of  his  threefold  denial,  and  restored 
him  to  his  place  among  the  disciples  by  the  special  commission,  also 
thrice  repeated — "Feed  my  sheep!-'  adding  the  prediction  of  his 
martyrdom,  but  rebuking  his  affectionate  curiosity  concerning  the 
fate  of  John.  The  saying,  "  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come, 
what  is  that  to  thee?"  not  only  repelled  curiosity,  hut  predicted  his 
surviving  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

xiii.  The  eighth  Appearance  of  Jesus — to  the  great  Body  of  His 
Disciples  in  Galilee.  —  St.  Matthew  continues  the  statement  just 
quoted  by  saying  that  the  eleven  disciples  went  out  to  a  mountain 
in  Galilee,  where  Jesus  had  appointed  them  ;  and  when  they  saw 
him  they  worshipped  him,  but  some  doubted  (Matt,  xxviii.  1G,  17). 
Though  Matthew  mentions  only  the  eleven,  he  can  scarcely  mean 
the  last  statement  to  apply  to  them,  after  the  removal  of  the  last,  re- 
mains of  their  incredulity  in  the  case  of  Thomas.  It  is  evident, 
from  comparing  the  Gospels,  that,  in  several  statements  which  refer 
to  the  body  of  the  disciples,  the  eleven  are  particularly  named,  be- 
cause they  were  specially  the  appointed  witnesses  of  Christ's  resur- 
rection. There  is,  therefore,  no  difficulty  in  identifying  this  inter- 
view with  the  appearance  of  Jesus  to  "above  five  hundred  brethren 
at  once,"  mentioned  by  St.  Paul,  who  appeals  to  the  fact  that  some 
of  them  were  still  living  when  he  wrote  (1  Cor.  xv.  6). 

This,  then,  was  the  great  interview  of  Jesus  with  his  disciples, 
of  which  he  had  spoken  even  before  his  death  (Matt.  xxvi.  32),  and 
to  which  they  were  summoned  from  the  moment  of  his  resurrection. 
Its  scone  was  Galilee,  where  Jesus  had  commenced  his  course  of 
public  teaching,  and  where  his  life  had  been  chiefly  spent;  and,  as 
he  had  opened  his  public  ministry  on  a  mountain,  by  the  discourse 
which  set  forth  the  conditions  of  discipleship,  so  he  closed  it  on  a 
mountain,  by  the  commission  which  he  based  upon  his  own  unlimit' 


A.D.  30.  APPEARANCES  OF  JESUS.  305 

ed  authority  :  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  inearth. 
Go  ye  therefore  and  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you :  and  lo !  I  am  with  you  always  unto  the  end  of  the  world  " 
(Matt,  xxviii.  18-20).  This  commission  was  given  to  the  disciples, 
as  such,  and  not  to  the  apostles  only ;  and  this  is  true  also  of  the 
promise  of  miraculous  powers,  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  are  recorded  respectively  by  Mark  and  John. 

xiv.  Christ's  ninth  Appearance — to  James  (the  Less). — Immediate- 
ly after  mentioning  this  interview,  St.  Paul  adds  the  words,  "af- 
ter that  he  was  seen  of  James,"  a  special  notice,  which  agrees  well 
with  the  importance  assigned  to  James,  as  being,  like  Peter  and 
John,  one  of  the  "pillars  "  of  the  Church  (I  Cor.  xv.  7;  Gal.  ii.  9). 
This  appearance  may  be  referred  to  Jerusalem  with  the  more  prob- 
ability, as  James  was  not  one  among  the  apostles  at  the  Lake  of 
Galilee. 

§  4.  Thursday,  the  25th  ofjyar — "Holy  Thursday,"  or  '■'Ascen- 
sion-day" May  ISth. 

xv.  Our  Lord's  last  Lnterview  with  the  Apostles,  and  his  Ascension. 
■ — His  tenth  Appearance. — The  last  scene,  of  all  was  reserved  for  the 
eyes  of  the  apostles  only,  as  the  specially  appointed  witnesses  of 
Christ's  resurrection  and  ascension.  St.  Peter  lays  stress  upon  the 
fact  that,  when  God  had  raised  Jesus  from  the  dead,  "He  showed 
him,  openly,  not  to  all  the  people,  but  unto  ivitnesses  chosen  before  of 
(Jod,  even  to  us,  who  did  eat  and  drink  with  him  after  he  rose  from 
the  dead"  (Acts.  x.  40,  41).  Neither  Matthew  nor  John  relates 
our  Saviour's  ascension.  Mark  simply  says  that  "  He  was  received 
up  into  heaven  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God"  (Mark  xvi.  19). 
St.  Luke  describes  the  whole  scene  briefly  in  his  Gospel,  and  fully 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (Luke  xxiv.  50-f)3;  Acts  i.  1-12). 

The  whole  time  during  which  Jesus  "showed  himself  after  his 
passion  by  many  infallible  proofs  "  was  forty  days  (Acts  i.  3),  a 
period  which  has  evidently  some  mystical  signification,  being  the 
same  as  the  time  spent  by  Moses  and  by  Elijah  in  Mount  Horeb, 
and  by  Christ  himself  in  the  wilderness  of  temptation,  and  corre- 
sponding to  the  number  of  years  that  the  people  had  wandered  in 
the  desert.  In  what  secret  retirement  he  took  up  his  abode  during 
these  forty  days,  we  are  not  told  :  all  that  concerns  us  is  the  time 
he  spent  witli  his  disciples,  "speaking  of  the  things  pertaining  to 
the  kingdom  of  God." 

At  last,  on  the  fortieth  day,  the  disciples  were  assembled  with 
Jesus  at  Jerusalem,  it  would  seem,  by  a  special  appointment  (Acts 
i.  4 ;  oornp.  ver.  6),  and  he  commanded  them  not  to  depart  thenco 

U 


306  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chaf.  XXVI. 

till  they  received  the  promise  of  the  Father,  the  baptism  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  After  rebuking  their  desire  to  know  whether  the 
time  was  come  for  him  to  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel,  he  prom- 
ised them  power,  by  that  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  for  the  work  they 
had  to  do  for  his  name  in  Jerusalem,  Judsea,  and  Samaria,  and  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth  (Acts.  i.  4-8). 

Either  during  or  after  this  conversation,  he  led  them  out — over 
the  very  ground  he  had  traversed  with  them  six  weeks  before,  when 
he  entered  the  city  to  suffer — as  far  as  Bethany,  on  the  farther 
slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  so  out  of  view  of  the  city  ;  and 
there,  as  with  uplifted  hands  he  gave  them  his  parting  blessing,  a 
cloud  interposed  between  him  and  them,  like  the  chariot  and  horses 
of  fire  that  separated  Elijah  from  Elisha;  and,  upborne  on  this  ae- 
rial car,  he  was  wafted  from  their  sight  through  the  vault  of  heaven. 

Meanwhile  the  disciples  scarcely  recollected  that  this  was  but 
what  he  had  himself  foretold  :  "  What  and  if  ye  shall  see  the  Son 
of  man  ascend  up  where  he  was  before  ?"  (John  vi.  G2).  They 
stood  gazing  up  after  him  as  if  he  had  been  lost  forever,  till  they 
were  awakened  from  their  stupor  by  the  appearance  of  two  angels 
standing  by  them,  and  declaring  that  this  same  Jesus  who  was  tak- 
en from  them  into  heaven,  should  so  come  in  like  manner  as  they 
had  seen  him  go  into  heaven.  Having  worshipped  their  glorified 
Lord,  they  returned  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  to  Jerusalem  with 
great  joy  ;  and,  while  expecting  the  promised  gift  of  the  Holy  Spir- 
it, they  spent  their  time  continually  in  the  temple,  praising  and 
blessing  God  (Luke  xxiv.  50-53 ;  Acts  i.  1-12). 

We  can  not  more  fitly  conclude  this  narrative  of  our  Saviour's 
life  on  earth  than  by  calling  attention  to  the  two  points  insisted  on 
by  St.  John  :  first,  that  we  have  only  a  small  part  of  our  Lord's 
sayings  and  doings  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples,  for  the  world 
itself  could  hardly  have  contained  the  record  of  the  whole ;  but, 
finally,  that  all  we  do  possess  has  been  written  with  this  one  sole 
object — "that  we  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  and  that,  believing,  we  might  have  life  through 
his  name  "  (John  xx.  30,  31 ;  xxi.  25). 


Jerusalem. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

THE    CHURCH    IN    PALESTINE. TO   THE    MARTYRDOM    OF    ST.  STE- 
PHEN.—A. D.    30-37. 

St.  Luke's  "Second  Treatise,"  or  "Discourse,"  addressed  to 
Theophilus,  though  now  entitled  "  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  was 
never  meant  for  their  complete  history.  Its  true  subject  is  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promise  of  the  Father  by  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  the  results  of  that  outpouring  in  the  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  among 
Jews  and  Gentiles.  It  deals  only  with  the  beginning  of  this  great 
theme  ;  and,  having  shown  us  the  full  establishment  of  Christ's 
Church — first  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  then  in  those  Eastern  and  Gre- 
cian provinces  of  the  Roman  empire  which  the  Jews  were  wont  to 
regard  as  representing  the  whole  Gentile  world — it  leaves  all  the 
future  progress  of  the  Gospel  to  be  recorded  by  the  Church  itself. 

The  foundation  of  the  Church  was  laid  by  Christ  himself  in  his 
own  person ;  and  the  disciples  whom  he  gathered  formed  a  perfect 
Church  when  he  left  them,  at  his  ascension.     It  formed  one  body, 


SOS  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.        Chap.  XXVIL 

like  the  congregation  of  the  Jewish  people,  from  which  it  derived  ita 
name.1  But  that  body  was  already  practically  divided  into  parts — ■ 
the  Christians  of  Judaea  and  of  Galilee,  besides  those  of  Samaria, 
Perasa,  and  the  more  distant  countries  round.  The  whole  number 
of  the  disciples,  as  we  have  seen,  was  about  500 ;  those  gathered  at 
Jerusalem  to  wait  for  the  promise  were  only  120  (Acts  i.  15).  But, 
when  that  promise  was  fulfilled,  the  feast  of  Pentecost  had  doubt- 
less gathered  nearly  all  together  again ;  and  we  are  told  that  they 
were  " all  with  one  accord"  (as  if  by  appointment)  "  in  one  place." 
Meanwhile  the  eleven  apostles,  having  returned  from  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  assembled  in  an  upper  room,  with  the  mother  and  brethren 
of  Jesus,  and  the  women  who  had  ministered  to  him,  and  there 
abode  in  prayer  and  supplication.  Their  evenings  were  thus  spent; 
for  in  the  day-time  "  they  were  continually  in  the  temple,  praising 
and  blessing  God,"  doubtless  declaring  Christ's  resurrection  and  as- 
cension to  the  people  (Acts  i.  12-1-1;  Luke  xxiv.  53).  These, 
with  the  other  disciples  resident  in  Jerusalem  (the  120),  proceeded, 
on  the  proposal  of  Peter,  to  elect  an  apostle  in  the  place  of  Judas. 
The  process  seems  to  have  been  tin's  :  The  disciples  chose  two  fit 
persons  ;  the  decision  was  referred  to  God  himself  by  the  lot,  with 
prayer;  and  he  on  whom  the  lot  fell  was  admitted  to  his  office  by 
the  Eleven.     The  new  apostle  was  Matthias  (Acts  i.  15-26). 

Ten  days  after  the  ascension,  the  time  arrived  which  God  had 
appointed  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  disciples. 
"The  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come;"  the  first  and  great  day 
of  the  feast  of  the  full  ingathering  of  the  harvest.2  On  this  day  the 
disciples,  including  those  who  had  come  up  to  the  feast,  were  all 
gathered  by  common  consent ;  when  there  was  heard  the  sound  of 
a  rushing  wind,  as  it  were  descending  from  heaven,  and  filling  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting,  while  lambent  flames,  shaped  like 
cloven  tongues,  were  seen  upon  all  their  heads.  These  signs  at 
once  furnished  to  the  senses  a  double  evidence  of  some  Divine 
power,  and  exactly  corresponded  to  the  figurative  language  chosen 
by  Jesus  to  describe  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  a  baptism 
ofJi?-e — a  wind  blowing  where  God  wills,  whose  sound  we  hear,  but 
can  not  trace  its  path.  The  inward  gift  of  the  Spirit,  qualifying 
the  disciples  for  the  work,  was  accompanied  with  an  outward  sign 
of  their  divine  mission — the  gift  of  "speaking  with  tongues,"  that 
is,  in  foreign  languages.3  They  were  thus  enabled  at  once  to  ad- 
dress the  strangers  assembled  at  the  feast — from  every  province  of 

1  The  word  in  the  New  Testament  translated  church  (tKuKnaia.)  is  itself  the 
translation  of  the  Hebrew  word  signifying  "congregation"  (Psa,  xsii.  2'2), 

2  Acts  ii.  1.    On  the  Feast  of  Pentecost,  see  Chap.  VII.,  p.  106. 
*  The  word  "  unknown  "  is  not  in  the  original. 


A.D.  30-37  DAY  OF  PENTECOST.  303 

the  Roman  empire,  and  even  beyond  it — in  their  several  lan- 
guages. These,  knowing  that  the  speakers  were  illiterate  Galileans, 
were  amazed  at  the  miracle,  which  was  made  the  more  striking 
from  its  occurring  at  the  time  of  the  morning  sacrifice,  and  from 
the  praises  of  God  which  they  uttered  in  all  these  tongues.  The 
early  hour  of  the  day  furnished  Peter  with  a  decisive  reply  to  the 
taunt,  "These  men  are  full  of  new  wine;"  and  then  he  plainly 
preached  the  resurrection  of  Christ  in  that^/i>s£  Christian  sermon, 
which  produced  three  thousand  baptized  converts  as  the  pentecostal 
first-fruits  of  the  spiritual  harvest.  "And  they  continued  steadfastly 
in  the  apostles'  doctrine  And  fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and 
in  prayers."  These  are  the  four  elements  of  Christian  social  life  ; 
and,  living  as  one  united  body  (verse  44),  in  which  there  were  many 
poor,  "  they  had  (or  held)  all  things  in  common,"  that  is,  as  we 
presently  see,  they  regarded  their  possessions  as  given  for  the  use  of 
all,  as  the  necessities  of  each  required.  They  appeared  daily  in  the 
temple,  and  their  many  miracles  caused  "fear  to  fall  upon  every 
soul."  In  private  they  held  social  fellowship  from  house  to  house, 
"with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart" — cheerful,  simple,  and 
united — "praising  God,  and  having  favor  with  all  the  people.  And 
the  Lord  added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved" 
(Acts  ii.). 

The  healing  of  a  man  above  forty  years  old,  who  had  been  lame 
from  his  birth,  by  Peter  and  John  at  the  "  Beautiful  "gate  of  the 
temple,  in  presence  of  all  the  people  who  were  assembling  to  even- 
ing prayer,  gave  Peter  another  opportunity  of  preaching  the  Sav- 
iour, in  whose  name  alone  the  miracle  was  performed.  His  dis- 
course was  interrupted  by  the  priests  of  the  ISadducean  party,  and 
the  captain  of  the  guard  of  Levites  that  kept  order  in  the  temple, 
who  seized  the  apostles  and  carried  them  oil'  to  prison.  But  their 
arrest  did  not  prevent  their  word  being  received  by  no  less  than 
five  thousand  believers  (Acts  iii.,  iv.  1-3). 

Next  morning  they  were  brought  before  the  Sanhedrim,  who 
saw  in  their  freedom  of  speech,  contrasted  with  their  want  of  let- 
ters, that  "they  had  been  with  Jesus."  As  the  miracle  could  not 
be  denied — for  there  stood  the  man  with  them — the  Council  tried 
to  silence  the  two  apostles  by  threats;  but  they  appealed  to  what 
was  "  right  in  the  sight  of  God,"  and  said,  "  We  can  not  but  speak 
the  things  that  we  have  seen  and  heard"- — a  summary  of  the  apos- 
tles' mission  in  one  sentence.  Fear  of  the  people  stayed  any  fur- 
ther severity,  and  the  liberated  apostles  were  received  by  the  Church 
with  a  thanksgiving,  which  is  the  earliest  example  of  united  Chris- 
tian prayer.  It  was  answered  by  the  shaking  of  the  place  where 
they  were  met,  and  by  a  new  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  which  gave 


SlO  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.         Chap.  XXVII. 

new  power  to  the  apostles,  new  harmony  to  the  believers,  and  new 
life  to  their  liberality.  We  are  now  told  again,  and  more  precise- 
ly, in  what  sense  "  they  had  all  things  common."  None  were  left 
in  want,  for  those  who  possessed  lands  or  houses  sold  them,  and  the 
money  thus  obtained  was  handed  over  to  the  apostles,  who  divided 
it  to  the  needy.  There  was  perfect  liberty  to  do  so  or  not  (Acts  v. 
4);  and  the  narrative  mentions  one  striking  case  of  such  liberality 
by  Joses,  a  Levite  of  Cyprus,  whom  the  apostles  surnamed  Barva- 
bas,  that  is,  "Son  of  Consolation,"  or  rather  "  Son  of  Prophecy  or 
Exhortation  "  (Acts  iv.  ;  comp.  xi.  24).  The  contrast  presented 
by  the  attempt  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  to  gain  the  like  credit  by 
a  pretense,  and  to  cover  that  pretense  with  a  lie,  introduces  the  sec- 
ond great  crime  and  great  judgment  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Their  miraculous  death,  at  the  sentence  uttered  by  Peter, 
caused  great  fear  within  the  Church,  and  deterred  the  worldly- 
minded  from  joining  the  disciples.  But  still  the  work  of  conver- 
sion went  on.  The  apostles  and  their  followers  assembled  daily  in 
the  portico  of  the  temple  named  after  Solomon.  Their  miracles 
were  multiplied.  The  sick  were  carried  on  beds  into  the  street, 
that  at  least  Peter's  shadow,  as  he  passed  by,  might  fall  upon  them; 
and  multitudes  were  brought  into  Jerusalem  from  the  villages,  and 
were  all  healed  (Acts.  v.  1-16). 

These  successes  again  roused  the  Sadducees ;  for  they,  as  ene- 
mies of  the  doctrine  of  a  resurrection,  were  the  first  persecutors  of 
the  Church.  They  had  tried  in  vain  to  silence  two  of  the  apostles; 
and  now  they  threw  the  whole  numher  into  prison.  An  angel  open- 
ed the  prison  doors,  and  set  them  free  during  the  night;  and  when 
the  Sanhedrim  assembled  in  the  morning,  it  was  to  hear  that  the 
prison  had  been  found  secure  and  guarded,  but  empty,  and  that  the 
prisoners  were  at  that  moment  preaching  in  the  temple.  Fear  of 
the  people  again  prevented  open  violence  ;  but  the  apostles  came 
at  the  request  of  the  captain  of  the  temple-guard,  and  were  placed 
before  the  Sanhedrim,  whom  the  high-priest  now  convened,  togeth- 
er with  the  Senate  of  Elders,  that  venerable  body  which  had  pre- 
served its  authority  as  representing  the  people  through  all  the 
changes  of  the  Jewish  state  (Acts  v.  21).  In  this  second  assembly, 
therefore,  we  see  no  longer  only  the  Sanhedrim,  headed  by  the  Sad- 
ducean  rulers,  but  the  chiefs  of  the  whole  people,  taking  part  in  per- 
secuting the  apostles.  To  the  charge  that,  they  were  trying  to  bring 
upon  the  people  the  blood  of  Christ,  Peter  replied  with  the  same 
boldness  as  before.  Stung  by  his  words,  they  were  about  to  vote 
the  death  of  the  Apostles,  when  they  were  checked  by  the  advice  of 
a  Pharisee  named  Gamaliel.  This  man,  renowned  as  one  of  the 
greatest  doctors  of  the  law,  gave  the  sage  counsel  to  wait  and  sea 


A.D.  30-37.     BEGINNING  OF  PERSECUTION.  311 

what  would  come  of  the  new  doctrine  if  let  alone.  His  suggestion 
— "If  it  be  of  God"—  "lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  fight  against 
God" — is  most  important  for  the  light  it  throws  on  the  views  of  the 
best  of  the  Pharisees ;  doubly  important  as  coming  from  the  teacher 
of  Saul  of  Tarsus  (Acts  xxii.  3).  His  advice  was  adopted  by  the 
Council,  after  they  had  vented  their  anger  by  inflicting  on  the  apos- 
tles the  scourging  permitted  by  the  law,  and  again  forbidden  them 
to  speak  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  They,  on  their  part,  "rejoiced 
that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  name  ;"  and, 
assured  by  this  proof  of  conformity  with  his  sufferings — "both  dai- 
ly in  the  temple,  and  in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and 
preach  Jesus  Christ"  (Acts  v.  17-42). 

Meanwhile  the  Church  began  to  feel  the  want  of  institutions  for 
its  order.  It  included  two  sorts  of  persons,  the  Hebrews,  or  Jews 
of  Palestine,  and  the  Hellenists,  who  were  equally  pure  Jews,  but  na- 
tives of,  or  settlers  in,  countries  which  had  been  influenced  by  Greek 
conquest  or  civilization,  and  especially  by  the  adoption  of  the  Greek 
language.  The  Hellenists,  many  of  whom  must  have  been  convert- 
ed on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (as  the  enumeration  of  nations  in  Acts 
ii.  9-11  shows),  were  viewed  with  jealousy  even  by  the  Christian 
Hebrews ;  and  they  complained  that  their  widows  were  neglected  in 
the  daily  distribution.  This  was  by  no  fault  of  the  apostles,  who 
could  not  sit  like  bankers  at  "  tables  "  without  neglecting  the  word 
of  God.  So  they  invited  the  brethren  to  look  out  from  among  them 
seven  men  of  honest  report,  whom  the  apostles  would  appoint  to 
this  business.  The  Seven  chosen  were  Stephen,  "a  man  full  of 
faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Philip  (comp.  Acts  viii.  5,  2G  ;  xxi.  8), 
Prochorus,  Nicanor,  Simon,  Parmenas,  and  Nicolas,4  a  proselyte  of 
Antioch.  They  were  ordained  by  laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands 
with  prayer,  to  the  office  which  though  not  here  so  called — is  af- 
terwards clearly  denoted  by  their  name  of  Deacons,  i.  e.,  "  Serv- 
ants," from  the  "  service  "  (ver.  2)  they  performed  (Acts  vi.  1-6). 5 

This  institution  gave  a  fresh  impulse  to  the  Gospel.  "  The  word 
of  God  increased ;  and  the  number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  in 
Jerusalem  greatly  ;  and  a  great  company  of  the  priests  were  obedi- 
ent to  the  faith."  It  was  not  merely  that  the  apostles  obtained 
more  freedom ;  but  the  deacons  themselves  came  forward  with  a 
zeal  suited  to  their  eminent  position,  and  Stephen  was  most  con- 
spicuous for  his  faith  and  the  power  of  his  teaching,  and  the  won- 
ders and  miracles  he  performed.     The  Hellenistic  Jews  formed  a 

4  It  is  doubtful  whether  this  was  the  leader  of  the  heresy  of  the  "  Nico- 
iaitanes  "  (Rev.  ii.  0, 15). 

6  Iu  Rom.  xvi.  1,  St.  Paul  mentions  "  Phoebe,  our  sister,  a  deaconess  of  the 
church  at  Cenehrea"  (the  port  of  Corinth). 


312  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.         Chap.  XXVII. 

sort  of  combined  opposition  to  him,  led  by  "the  synagogue  of  the 
Libertines"  (that  is,  "  freedmen  "),  "and  Cyrenians,  and  Alexan- 
drians, and  of  those  from  Cilicia  and  Asia."  The  mention  of  the 
Cilicians  prepares  us  for  the  part  taken  by  Saul  of  Tarsus  ;  and 
the  Pharisees  were  now  committed  to  the  conflict  by  the  zeal  of  the 
Hellenists  for  the  traditions  of  the  law.  Worsted  in  argument  by 
Stephen's  wisdom  and  spiritual  power,  they  suborned  (as  against 
his  Master)  false  witnesses,  who  accused  him  before  the  Sanhedrim 
of  blasphemy  against  the  temple  and  the  law,  in  saying  that  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  should  destroy  the  holy  place  and  change  the  institu- 
tions of  Moses.  The  presence  which  Christ  had  promised  to  his 
disciples  was  shown,  before  Stephen  opened  his  lips,  by  the  very  as- 
pect of  his  countenance,  which  seemed  to  all  in  the  council  like 
that  of  an  angel  (Acts  vi.  8-15).  The  defense  which  he  made,  on 
the  invitation  of  the  high-priest,  is  one  of  the  most  memorable  pas- 
sages of  the  New  Testament.  It  places  the  truth  of  Christianity  on 
the  basis  of  its  relation  to  the  history  of  the  Old  Covenant.  The 
whole  argument  is  summed  up  in  the  one  phrase,  "Ye  stiff-necked" 
— the  epithet  applied  by  Moses  to  their  fathers — "ye"  who,  while 
boasting  of  circumcision,  are  "  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye 
do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost :  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye." 
Stung  to  the  heart,  and  gnashing  their  teeth  for  rage,  they  cut  short 
his  defense  ;  and  when,  amidst  the  tumult,  Stephen  stood  gazing  up 
to  heaven,  and  saying,  "Behold  I  see  the  heavens  opened,  and  the 
Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  Corf,"  their  rage  passed 
all  bounds.  But  we  need  not  relate  the  story  of  the  protoniartyr's 
death,  each  incident  of  which  repeats  that  of  his  Master  (Acts  vii.). 
Its  fruit  was  soon  to  be  seen  in  "the  young  man  named  Saul," 
who  was  "consenting  to  his  death,  and  had  held  the  garments  of 
them  that  slew  him,"  and  who  was  now  the  most  active  agent  of  the 
general  persecution,  of  which  Stephen's  martyrdom  gave  the  signal 
(Acts  viii.  1-3  ;   xxii.  20). 

We  learn  some  important  details  of  this  persecution  from  the 
testimony  of  Paul  himself;  not  only  were  the  scourg'mgs  permitted 
by  the  Jewish  law  inflicted  in  every  synagogue ;  in  the  hope  of 
hearing  the  weaker  sufferers  blaspheme  the  name  of  Jesus  (Acts 
xxii.  19;  xxvi.  10,  11)  ;  not  only  were  multitudes,  both  of  men  and 
women,  put  in  prison,  and  hunted  down  even  in  foreign  cities  ;  but, 
either  through  the  connivance  or  the  temporary  suspension  of  the 
Roman  authority,  the  Sanhedrim  ventured  to  put  many  to  death, 
like  Stephen  ;  and  Paul  adds,  "when  they  were  put  to  death,  I 
gave  my  voice  against  them"  (Acts  xxvi.  10,  11).  The  result  was 
a  general  dispersion  of  the  disciples — except  the  Apostles — from 
Jerusalem  ;  which  proved  the  first  means  of  spreading  the  Gospel 


A.D.  30-37.    DISPERSION  OF  THE  DISCIPLES.  313 

beyond  the  limits  of  the  Jewish  race:  "They  that  were  scattered 
abroad  went  in  different  directions,  preaching  the  word  "  (Acts  iv. 
4).  We  shall  see  presently  that  some  of  them  went  through  Phoe- 
nicia into  Syria  as  far  as  Antioch,  and  across  to  the  Island  of  Cy- 
prus, confining  their  ministry  at  first  to  the  Jews,  but  soon  ventur- 
ing to  preach  Christ  to  the  Greeks  at  Antioch  (Acts  xi.  ID,  20). 
Meanwhile  the  narrative  of  St.  Luke  follows  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  Holy  Land,  through  the  three  great  steps  of  the  con- 
version of  the  Samaritans  (Acts  viii.  5-25),  of  the  Ethiopian  eu- 
nuch (Acts  viii.  26-40),  and  of  the  Roman  centurion  (Acts  x.), 
both  of  whom  were  already  proselytes.  Thus  early  are  the  repre- 
sentatives of  races  alien  to  the  Jews,  both  at  home  and  in  the  regions 
of  the  east,  south,  and  west,  brought  into  the  Church,  while  the 
conversion  of  Saul  prepares  for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles. 

By  mentioning  the  conversion  of  Cornelius  in  its  connection  with 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  Judasa,  we  have  anticipated  the  order  of 
time,  probably,  by  about  three  years.  The  martyrdom  of  Stephen, 
and  the  ensuing  persecution  and  spread  of  the  Gospel  through  all 
Palestine,  crowned  by  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul,  took  place  in  the 
year  from  the  Peast  of  Tabernacles,  in  a.d.  36,  to  the  same  feast  in 
a.d.  37.  Within  that  year,  both  Pilate  and  Caiaphas  were  deposed 
by  Vitellius,  the  governor  of  Syria  ;  and  on  the  16th  of  March,  a.d. 
37  (the  Passover  being  on  the  19th),  the  Emperor  Tiberius  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  C.uus  Cesar,  or  Caligula.  The  bosom- 
friend  of  Caligula  was  Agrippa,  the  son  of  Aristobulus,  son  of 
Herod,  afterwards  King  Herod  Agrippa  I.  What  influence  his 
favor  with  Caius,  and  afterwards  with  Claudius,  had  both  upon  Jews 
and  Christians,  we  shall  presently  see.  Meanwhile  we  return  to  the 
apostolic  history,  in  which  Saul  of  Tarsus,  who  now  becomes  Paul 
the  Apostle,  is  henceforth  the  central  figure.  His  conversion 
followed  closely  in  order  of  time  upon  Stephen's  martyrdom  ;  and 
St.  Augustine  beautifully  says:  "Si  Stepiianus  non  orasset,  Ec~ 
clesia  Paulum  non  haberet" — "If  Stephen  had  not  prayed,  the 
Church  would  have  had  no  Paul."6 

3  As  a  key  to  all  that  follows,  we  give  the  chronology  of  St.  Paul's  lif? 
iccording  to  the  two  best  authorities  (see  Note). 


314 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Chap.  XXVII. 


NOTE  —CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  ST.  PAUL. 


Conybeare  and 

Lewin. 

Taule  of  St.  Paul's  Life. 

How6on. 

A.D. 

A.I>. 

About  5  or  6 

About  11 

Birth  of  Saul  at  Tarsus. 

3C 

30  or  37 

Martyrdom  of  St.  Stephen. 

37 

37 

Conversion  of  St.  Paul. 

39 

39 
(F.  of  Tabernacles) 

His  first  visit  to  Jerusalem. 

39-40 

39-40 

Rest  of  the  Jewish  Churches. 

40 

40 

Conversion  of  Cornelius. 

44 

43 

Barnabas  fetches  Saul  from  Tarsus  to 

Antioch. 

44 

44 

Famine,  and  death  of  Herod  Agrippa  I. 

44  or  45 

44 

Barnabas  &  Saul  go  to  Jerusalem  with 

(before  the  Passover) 

the  collection.    (Paul's second  visit.) 

4S-49 

45-46 

Paul's  First  Missionary  Journey. 

50 

4S 

Paul  and  Barnabas  go  up  to  the  Coun- 
cil at  Jerusalem. 
Paul's  third  visit.* 

51 

49 

Paul's  Second  Missionary  Journey. 

52 

52 

Paul  arrives  at  Corinth,  where  he  stays 

(February) 

eighteen  months. 

54 

53 

Paul  arrives  at  Jerusalem. 

(Pentecost) 

{Tabernacles) 

His  fourth  visit,  t 

Winters  at  Antioch  (Lewin). 

54  (hitter  half) 

54  (beginning) 

Paul's  Third  Missionary  Journey. 

55 

54 

He  reaches  Ephesus,  where  he  stays 

(May) 

three  full  years  (Lewin). 

55-57 

54-57 

57 

57 

(about  Pentecost) 

Leaves  Ephesus  for  Macedonia. 

57-58 

57-53 

Winters  at  Corinth  (three  months). 

5S 

5S  (March  27) 

Reaches  Philippi  at  the  Passover. 

53 

53 

Reaches  Jerusalem  at  Pentecost. 

(Slay  17) 

Paul's  fifth  visit,  and  arrest  in  the 
temple. 

5S-C0 

58-60 

Imprisonment  at  Csesarea. 

GO 

60  (about  Mklsnm.) 

Festus  succeeds  Felix. 

00 

CO  (end  of  August) 

Paul  sails  for  Rome. 

About  Nov.  1 

His  shipwreck  at  Malta. 

Gl 

61  (begin,  of  Mar.) 

Paul  reaches  Rome. 

01-63 

His  first  imprisonment  (two  years).     ) 

63 

03 

On  his  release  Paul 

(Spring) 

goes  to  Macedo- 

sails for  Jerusalem,  j 

nia  and  Asia  Mi- 

and visits  Antioch, 

nor  (C.  &  H). 

Colossse,  and  Ephe- 
sus (Lewin). 

64-66 

64 

Paul,    after     visiting    Crete,   leaves 

(in  Spain  ?) 

Ephesus  for  Macedonia. 

!         67-6S 

64-65 

Winters  at  Nicopolis. 

65 

(Lewin.)  Visits  Balmatia,  and  returns 
through  Macedonia   and  Troas  to 
Ephesus,  where  he  is  arrested  and 
sent  to  Rome. 

J6S  (Mayor  Jn.) 

CG  (June  29) 

Martyrdom  of  St.  Paul  at  Rome. 

*  Dr.  Howson  identifies  this  visit  with  that  of  Galatians  it.,  and  places  the  collision  with  Peter 
at  Antioch  after  it. 

t  Mr.  Lewin  identifies  this  visit  with  that  of  Galatians  ii.,  and  places  the  collision  with  Peter  at 
Antioch  after  it. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
THE  GENTILES  RECEIVED  INTO  THE  CHURCH. 

J.ROM  THE  CONVERSION  OF  ST.  PAUL  TO  THE  FIRST  COUNCIL  OF  JE- 
RUSALEM, INCLUDING  THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY  OF  PAUL 
AND  BARNABAS. — A.D.  37-48  OR  50. 

"I  verily  am  a  Jew,  bovn  in  Tarsus,  of  Cilicia  (a  citizen  of  no 
mean  city),  but  brought  up  in  this  city  (Jerusalem)  at  the  feet  of 
Gamaliel"  (Acts  xxii.  3;  cf.  G;  xxi.  3'.)),  "circumcised  the  eighth 
day,  of  the  stock  of  Israel,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  a  Hebrew  of 
the  Hebrews;  as  to  the  law,  a  Pharisee"  (Phil.  iii.  5):  such  are 
Paul's  descriptions  of  himself,  to  which  the  traditions  of  the  Fathers 
scarcely  add  any  trustworthy  information.  Of  all  that  is  known  of 
Tarsus,  and  the  influence  of  that  city  of  Cilicia  on  his  early  life, 
we  can  only  here  notice  two  facts.  He  was  a  "free-born"  citizen 
if  Home  (Acts  xxii.  28),  inheriting  the  franchise  which  had  been 


316  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.       Chap.  XXVIII. 

conferred  on  his  father  (perhaps  for  some  public  service),  and  with 
it,  probably,  his  Roman  name  of  Paul  (Paulus).  Cilicia  was  fa- 
mous of  old  for  the  manufacture  of  the  black  tents  of  goats'  hair 
which  are  seen  to  the  present  day  on  the  plain  of  Tarsus;  and 
Saul  was  brought  up  to  this  occupation  (Acts  xviii.  3).  The  ex- 
cellent  custom  of  the  Jews  to  teach  every  youth  some  trade,  wheth- 
er he  had  to  earn  his  living  by  it  or  not,  afterwards  enabled  the 
apostle  to  labor  with  his  own  hands,  and  so  to  make  the  Gospel 
without  charge  to  the  disciples  (Acts  xx.  34  ;  1  Cor.  iv.  12 ;  2  Cor. 
xi.  9 ;  xii.  13,  14  ;  1  Thess.  ii.  9  ;  2  Thess.  iii.  8).  It  by  no  means 
follows  that  the  family  were  in  a  necessitous  condition  ;  and  the 
contrary  may  be  inferred  from  the  liberal  education  which  St.  Paul 
received.  To  that  knowledge  of  the  Greek  language  which  ha 
learnt  at  Tarsus  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  added  such  an  acquaint- 
ance with  Hellenic  literature  as  not  only  to  quote  freely  from  Greek 
poets  (Acts  xviii.  28 ;  Tit.  i.  2),  but  to  prove  himself  familiar  with 
the  very  spirit  of  Hellenism.  These  accomplishments  formed  in  no 
small  degree  his  peculiar  qualifications  for  the  special  part  to  which 
he  was  called,  in  the  diffusion  of  Christianity,  as  the  "Apostle  of 
the  Gentiles." 

But,  though  Hellenistic,  his  family  were  not  Hellenizing.  A 
"Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,"  he  was  early  sent  to  Jerusalem,  to  be 
"  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and  taught  according  to  the 
most  perfect  manner  of  the  law  of  the  fathers  "  (Acts  xxii.  3).  The 
profound  learning  shown  in  his  Epistles  confirms  his  own  account 
of  the  rapid  progress  which  he  made  "in  the  Jews'  religion  above 
many  of  his  contemporaries"  (Gal.  i.  14).  But  the  young  Pharisee 
had  also  acquired  among  "  his  own  people"  a  reputation  for  sancti- 
ty of  life  and  strict  observance  of  all  the  traditions  of  the  sect,  which 
he  more  than  maintained  at  Jerusalem.  He  could  afterwards  con- 
fidently appeal  to  the  knowledge  of  all  the  Jews,  that  "  after  the 
most  straitest  sect  of  their  religion  he  lived  a  Pharisee  "(Acts  xxvi. 
4,  5) ;  nay,  he  could  boast  with  a  good  conscience  that  he  was  blame- 
less  as  "touching  the  righteousness  ichich  is  in  the  law  "  (Phil.  iii.  G). 
But  these  qualifying  words  point  to  the  higher  virtues  which  he  did 
not  possess;  his  allusions  to  "glorying,"  "  boasting,"  and  "pleas- 
ing men,"  refer  to  the  old  spirit  of  the  true  Pharisee  ;  and  his  own 
sorrowful  confession  marks  his  highest  reputation  among  the  Jews 
as  a  state  of  "  ignorance  and  unbelief"  concerning  the  true  spirit- 
ual meaning  of  the  Scriptures  (1  Tim.  i.  13). 

The  brief  narrative  of  his  conversion  and  apostolic  labors  in 
the  "Acts"  is  so  strikingly  illustrated  in  his  "Letters,"  or,  to  use 
the  Greek  title,  "Epistles,"  that  the  comparison  furnishes  the  most 
powerful  evidence  of  the  truth  of  both.     To  make  the  ensuing  nar- 


A.D.  37-50.    OUTLINE  OF  ST.  PAUL'S  COURSE.  317 

rative  clearer,  we  first  mark  the  following  great  epochs  of  the  apos. 
tie's  life  : 

i.   His  first  appearance  at  Jerusalem  as  a  Persecutor. 
ii.    His  Conversion  on  the  way  to  Damascus, 
iii.   His  Introduction  to  /he  Apostles  at  Jerusalem,  and  retirement 

for  a  time  to  Tarsus. 
iv.  His  Labors  at  Antioch,  and  visit  to  Jerusalem  in  a.d.  44. 
v.   His  First  Missionary  Journey  in  Asia  Minor, 
yi.    His  Visit  to  Jerusalem  about  the  Gentiles. 
vii.   His  Second  Missionary  Journey,  and  Introduction  of  the  Gos- 
pel into  Europe. 
viii.   His  Third  Missionary  Journey,  and  long  Stay  at  Ephesus. 
ix.  His  Seizure  at  Jerusalem,  and  Imprisonment  at  Ciesarea. 
x.  His  Voyage  to  Rome,  and  First  Imprisonment. 
xi.   His  Release,  and  subsequent  labors. 
xii.   His  Second  Imprisonment  and  Martyrdom. 
Saul  is  first  introduced  to  us  in  connection  with  the  martyrdom 
of  Stephen,  and  the  persecution  which  ensued  thereon.     In  the  first 
deed  of  blood  we  must  not  think  of  him  as  a  mere  by-stander.     As 
a  Hellenist  and  one  of  "them  of  Cilicia,"  he  was  doubtless  one  of 
the  confuted  disputants ;  and  his  part  in  the  murder,  only  second 
to  that  of  the  witnesses  whose  clothes  he  took  charge  of,  is  marked 
by  the  emphatic  statement,  "Saul  was  consenting  to  his  death" 
(Acts  vii.  58;  viii.  1).      When  the  disciples  were  scattered  by  this 
persecution,  Saul  pursued  them,  "breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples   of  the  Lord  "  (Acts   ix.  1)  ;   or.   to 
use  his  own  words,  "Being  exceedingly  mad  against  them,  I  per- 
secuted them  even  to  strange  cities."     Among  these  cities  was  old 
Damascus,  which  had  recently  been  transferred  from  Herod  Antipas 
to  Aretas,  the  king  of  Arabia  Petraja.  .  The  Jews,  who  were  very 
numerous  at  Damascus,  espoused  the  cause  of  Aretas,  and  viewed 
Herod's  defeat  as  a  judgment  for  the  death  of  John.     It  was,  there- 
fore, natural  that  Aretas  should  befriend  the  Jews,  so  as  to  give  fa- 
cilities for  carrying  out  the  jurisdiction  which  the  great  Sanhedrim 
at  Jerusalem  claimed  over  their  countrymen  in  foreign  cities.      It 
was  by  his  own  seeking  that  Saul  obtained  the  letters  of  the  high- 
priest  to  the  synagogues  of  Damascus,  to  enable  him   to  seize  and 
bring  bound  to  Jerusalem  any  "of  the  way,'' whether  men  or  women 
(Acts  ix.  2). 

But  the  Divine  Ruler  had  prescribed  a  very  different  issue,  and 
Saul  was  arrested  on  his  journey  by  a  miracle  which  converted  the 
persecutor  of  his  Jewish  brethren  into  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles. 
This  event  is  related  in  detail  three  times  in  the  Acts,  first  by  the 
historian  in  his  own  person,  then  in  the  two  addresses  made  by  St 


318  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.       Chap.  XXVIII. 

Paul  at  Jerusalem  and  before  Agrippa  (Acts  ix.,  xxii.,  xxvi.). 
These  three  narratives  are  not  repetitions  of  one  another,  and  the 
differences  between  them  are  most  instructive.  In  the  one  place 
St.  Luke  gives  in  his  own  language  a  simple  account  of  the  most 
essential  features  of  the  transaction,  viewed  merely  as  an  historical 
event.  In  the  other  two  passages,  he  reports  speeches  which  St. 
Paul  made  before  different  auditors,  bringing  forward  in  each  case 
those  points  which  were  best  fitted  to  convince  the  hearers,  but  in 
no  one  respect  inconsistent  with  those  recorded  in  the  simpler  nar- 
rative. Leaving  the  minute  comparison  of  the  three  accounts  for 
future  study,  Ave  must  briefly  note  the  essential  features  of  this 
event — one  equally  momentous  in  the  history  of  Christianity,  and 
among  the  most  convincing  evidences  of  its  truth.  (1)  Saul  and 
his  company  had  just  come  in  sight  of  Damascus,  when  the  splendor 
of  the  midday  sun  (Acts  xxii.  G  ;  xxvi.  13)  was  overpowered  l>y  a  still 
brighter  light  from  heaven,  "shining  round  about  me,  and  them  that 
journeyed  ivith  me'"  (Acts  xxvi.  13;  com]),  xxii.  9).  All  of  them 
saw  the  light,  and  all  fell  to  the  ground  (Acts  xxvi.  14);  and  thus 
all  were  witnesses  to  the  miracle.  But  to  Saul,  though  alone  blind- 
ed by  "  the  glory  of  that  light"  (Acts  xxii.  11),  it  was  vouchsafed 

"To  see  and  tell 
Of  things  invisible  to  mortal  sight." 

That  he  saw  the  Son  of  God  amidst  the  light,  is  implied  in  the 
statement  that  the  attendants  "  saw  no  man  "  (Acts  ix.  7),  and  by 
the  words  presently  addressed  to  him  by  Ananias — "The  Lord 
Jesus,  who  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way'''' — "The  God  of  our  fa- 
thers hath  chosen  thee,  that  thou  shouldcst  see  that  Just  One  "  (Acts 
ix.  17;  xxii.  14).  Hence,  in  vindicating  his  apostleship,  one  quali- 
fication fur  which  was  to  have  seen  the  risen  Christ,  Paul  says, 
"Have  not  I  seen  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord?''  (1  Cor.  ix.  1)  ;  and,  in 
enumerating  the  visible  appearances  after  his  resurrection,  he  says, 
"Last  of  all  he  teas  seen  of  me  also"  (1  Cor.  xv.  8).  (2)  The  T7.s- 
ion  was  accompanied  by  a  Voice,  the  well-known  Batli-Col.  The 
attendants  heurd  only  a  sound  as  of  thunder  (comp.  John  xii.  29), 
just  as  they  saw  only  the  diffused  light  (Acts  ix.  7) ;  but  to  Saul 
the  words  were  clear  in  his  own  Hebrew  tongue  (Acts  xxvi.  14), 
"Saul!  Saul!  why  persecutest  thou  me?"1  The  question  "  Lord, 
who  art  thou  ?"  confesses  the  first  movement  of  repentance  ;  and 
the  full  revelation  which  Jesus  then  makes  of  himself  brings  the 
persecutor,  with  trembling  and  astonishment  (Acts  ix.  6),  to  place 

1  The  proverbial  saying — "  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  prick*  " 
(or  rather  goad)— is  found  only  iu  Acts  xxvi.  14.  The  riinire  is  derived  from 
a  restive  ox,  whose  kicking  only  drives  the  goad  deeper. 


A.D.  37-50.        CONVERSION  OF  ST.  PAUL.  319 

himself  unreservedly  at  the  command  of  him  whom  he  henceforth 
served  with  all  his  being — "  Lord !  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?" 
He  was  commanded  to  go  into  Damascus  and  await  the  answer. 
He  was  led  blind  and  helpless  into  the  city  by  his  attendants,  and 
there,  in  the  street  called  Straight,  he  became  the  guest  of  Judas, 
perhaps  one  of  the  chief  of  the  disciples  whom  he  had  come  to  per- 
secute. Three  days  of  blindness,  fasting,  and  prayer  prepared  him 
for  the  promised  answer,  which  was  brought  by  Ananias,  a  convert 
of  his  own  class.  With  the  restoration  of  his  sight — when,  in  the 
doubly  expressive  figure,  "  there  fell  from  his  eyes  as  it  had  been 
scales" — he  received  his  full  commission  to  the  apostleship,  and  lie 
was  baptized  by  Ananias  ;  "  and  when  he  had  received  food,  he  was 
strengthened"  (Acts  ix.  18). 

So  fully  conscious  of  his  divine  mission  that  he  would  not  ap- 
pear, by  going  up  to  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem,  to  "  seek  counsel  of 
flesh  and  blood"  (Gal.  i.  15-17),  he  now  took  up  his  abode  at  Da- 
mascus, and  forthwith  began  to  preach  Christ  in  the  synagogues, 
confounding  the  Jews  by  his  proofs.  Part  of  this  time  was  spent 
in  Arabia  (Gal.  i.  17).  At  the  end  of  three  years,  the  Jews  laid  a 
plot  to  kill  him,  while  the  ethnarch,  who  governed  Damascus  under 
the  Arabian  king  Aretas,  kept  watch  with  the  garrison  to  prevent 
his  escape.  But  the  Eastern  fashion  of  building  houses  upon  walls 
enabled  the  Christians  to  let  Paul  down — just  as  Rahab  had  let 
down  the  spies — from  a  window  by  a  basket  (Acts  ix.  23-25  ;  2  Cor. 
xi.  32,  33).  He  went  to  Jerusalem,  with  the  motive,  as  he  himself 
tells  us,  of  conferring  with  Peter,  as  whose  guest  he  remained  there 
a  fortnight  (Gal.  i.  18).  At  first,  indeed,  the  disciples  were  afraid  of 
him,  till  Barnabas  brought  him  to  the  apostles,  and  told  them  how 
lie  had  seen  the  Lord  in  the  way,  and  how  boldly  he  had  preached 
Christ  at  Damascus.  With  equal  boldness  Saul  now  began  to  dis- 
pute with  the  Hellenists;  and  he  was  only  saved  from  Stephen's  fate 
through  being  hastily  escorted  by  the  brethren  to  Ca;sarea,  whence 
he  sailed  for  Tarsus  (Acts  ix.  26-30). 

From  himself  we  learn  another  motive  for  this  hasty  departure. 
This  visit  to  Jerusalem  was  the  season  appointed  for  him  to  receive 
his  full  commission  to  the  Gentiles,  the  particulars  of  which  he  re- 
lates in  his  defense  before  the  Jews  (Acts  xxii.  17-21).  As  he  was 
praying  in  the  temple,  he  fell  into  a  trance,  and  for  the  second  time 
beheld  a  vision  of  the  Lord,  who  bade  him  to  make  haste  and  de- 
part from  Jerusalem,  "for  they  will  not  receive  thy  testimony  con- 
cerning me."  His  argument  in  reply,  from  their  former  knowledge 
of  him  as  a  persecutor,  was  answered  by  the  repetition  of  the  com- 
mand, "  Depart,  for  I  will  send  thee  for  hence  unto  the  Gentiles." 
The  fury  which  the  mere  repetition  of  these  words  roused  iu  his 


820  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.       Chap.  XXVIII. 

audience  is  some  measure  of  the  offense  which  the  avowal  of  sucb 
a  mission  would  have  given,  not  only  to  the  Jews,  but  to  the  Judaic 
ing  Christians,  by  whose  jealousy  Paul  was  afterwards  so  severely 
tried.  It  was  better  first  to  go  and  prove  his  mission  by  deeds,  and 
then  to  come  back  to  Jerusalem  with  such  proofs.  So  passing,  in- 
deed, was  this  first  visit,  that  he  himself  tells  us,  "I  was  unknown 
by  face  unto  the  Churches  of  Juda;a"  (Gal.  i.  22). 

Meanwhile  Peter  was  first  called,  even  against  his  will,  to  open 
the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  the  Gentiles.  The  oppor- 
tunity was  afforded  by  that  season  of  rest  which  the  Churches  of 
Judaea,  Galilee,  and  Samaria  enjoyed  after  Saul's  visit  to  Jerusa- 
lem (Acts  ix.  31).  The  cessation  of  his  persecution  was  followed 
by  events  whicli  threatened  to  "turn  the  tables"  upon  the  Jews. 
The  insane  vanity  of  Caligula  proclaimed  the  worship  of  himself 
throughout  the  empire.  The  attempt  drove  the  Jews  to  the  verge 
of  a  rebellion,  which  was  only  averted  by  his  death  ;  and  we  can 
well  believe  that  the  agitation  of  the  whole  people  at  the  impend- 
ing danger  would  divert  their  attention  from  the  Christians.  It 
was  in  this  interval  of  rest  (about  a.d.  39  and  40)  that  Peter  made 
that  apostolic  visitation  of  the  churches  (Acts  ix.  32),  during  which 
he  cured  iEneas  of  the  palsy  at  Lydda,  in  the  plain  of  Sharon, 
and  restored  Tabitha,  or  Dorcas  (i.  e.,  "gazelle"),  to  life  at  Joppa, 
both  miracles  gaining  many  converts  to  the  faith  (Acts  ix.  32-43). 
From  Joppa  he  was  summoned  to  Csesarea,  to  perform  that  first 
great  act  of  receiving  Gentiles  into  the  Church,  which  is  related — 
with  all  its  picturesque  details  and  striking  lessons — in  Acts  x. 
The  news  of  this  act  roused  in  the  Church  at  Jerusalem  the  same 
prejudices  which  had  made  Peter  himself  reluctant  to  perform  it; 
but  his  account  of  the  vision  which  had  taught  him  that  "God  is 
no  respecter  of  persons,"  and  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  baptized  converts,  brought  them  to  glorify  God,  saying,  "Then 
hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  repentance  unto  life  "  (Acts 
xi.  1-18). 

This  truth  had  already  received  a  wider  application  than  they 
knew  of.  The  dispersion  of  the  Christians  from  Jerusalem  after 
the  death  of  Stephen  had  sent  many  northward  to  Phoenicia,  Anti- 
och,  and  Cyprus  ;  who  preached  the  Gospel  at  first  only  to  the 
Jews.  But  certain  of  the  Hellenists  among  them,  men  of  Cyprus 
and  Cyrene,  soon  grew  bolder  ;  and,  on  their  arrival  at  Antioch, 
they  spake  to  the  Grkeks,  preaching  the  Lord  Jesus.  "And  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  was  with  them :  and  a  great  number  believed, 
and  turned  unto  the  Lord"  (Acts  xi.  19-21).  It  is  probable  that 
these  Greeks  were  in  the  same  religious  position  as  Cornelius — prose- 
lytes of  the  gate — and  their  conversion  was  so  nearly  simultaneous 


A.D.  37-50.  HEROD  AGHIPRA  I.  321 

with  his  that,  when  the  news  reached  Jerusalem,  it  found  the  Church 
prepared  to  act  on  the  lesson  taught  through  Peter.  Barnabas 
was  sent  to  Antioch.  As  at  once  a  Levite  and  a  native  of  Cyprus, 
as  well  as  by  the  powers  of  gentle  persuasion  that  gained  him  his 
surname,  he  was  a  chief  link  between  the  Hebrews  and  the  Hellenists 
— besides  having  the  higher  qualifications  so  emphatically  recorded 
by  St.  Luke  :  "  He  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
of  faith."  It  was  enough  for  him  to  see  "  the  grace  of  God  ;"  and 
he  exhorted  the  new  converts  to  cleave  to  the  Lord  with  all  their 
heart.  His  labors  were  more  and  more  successful :  "much  people 
was  added  unto  the  Lord."  Barnabas  saw  in  this  movement  at 
Antioch  the  beginning  of  a  great  work  among  the  Greeks;  and,  in- 
tent upon  finding  a  fit  associate  in  the  new  labors  before  him,  he 
departed  to  Tarsus  to  seek  Saul,  whom  he  had  formerly  introduced 
to  the  apostles. 

Since  his  retirement  to  Tarsus,  Saul  had  been  laboring  in  Gilicia 
and  Syria  so  quietly,  but  so  successfully,  that  the  Churches  of  Ju- 
daea "had  heard  only  that  he  which  persecuted  us  in  times  past 
now  preacheth  the  faith  which  once  he  destroyed,  and  they  glorified 
God  in  him  "  (Gal.  i.  21-24).  He  now  labored  with  Barnabas  for  a 
whole  year  in  the  Church  at  Antioch,  "teaching  much  people," 
till  the  adherents  of  the  new  faith  grew  to  such  importance  as  to  be 
enrolled  among  the  schools  of  religious  and  philosophic  opinion  rec- 
ognized by  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  The  disciples  were  called 
Christians./?^  at  Antioch  (Acts  xi.  22-2G). 

While  Christianity  obtained  the  lasting  name  which  marked  its 
triumph  in  the  dissolute  capital  c/  Syria — that  stronghold  of  west- 
ern paganism  and  eastern  abominations — the  rest  of  the  churches 
of  Judaea  had  come  to  an  end.  On  the  24th  of  January,  b.c.  41, 
Caligula  was  assassinated,  and  the  only  friend  who  protected  his 
corpse  from  insult  was  Herod's  grandson,  Agrippa,  who  now  takes 
a  leading  part  in  Scripture  history.  The  young  son  of  Aristobulus 
and  Berenice  had  been  sent  to  Rome  on  his  father's  execution,  and 
was  brought  up  with  Drusus,  the  son  of  Tiberius.  On  the  death 
of  Drusus,  he  found  himself  excluded  from  the  emperor's  presence, 
and  was  besides  overwhelmed  with  debt.  Returning  to  Palestine, 
he  obtained  through  his  sister  Herodias  the  protection  of  Herod  An- 
tipas,  who  made  him  governor  of  Tiberias.  But  a  quarrel  soon 
took  place,  and,  after  strange  vicissitudes  and  adventures,  Agrippa 
returned  to  Italy.  He  attached  himself  to  the  young  Cains  (Calig- 
ula), and,  having  been  overheard  to  express  a  hope  for  his  friend's 
speedy  succession,  he  was  thrown  into  prison  by  Tiberius,  where 
he  remained  till  the  accession  of  Caligula,  a.d.  37.  The  new  em- 
peror gave  him  the  governments  formerly  held  by  the  tetrarchs  Philip 

X 


322  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.       Chap.  XXVIII. 

ami  Lysanias,  and  bestowed  on  him  the  ensigns  of  royalty  and  other 
marks  of  favor,  and  he  arrived  in  Palestine  in  the  following  year, 
after  visiting  Alexandria.  The  jealousy  of  Herod  Antipas  and  his 
wife  Herodias  was  excited  by  these  distinctions,  and  they  sailed  to 
Rome  in  the  hope  of  supplanting  Agrippa  in  the  emperor's  favor; 
hut  he  anticipated  their  design  by  a  counter-charge  against  Antipas 
of  treasonable  correspondence  with  the  Parthians.  Antipas  was 
banished  to  Gaul  (a.d.  39),  and  his  dominions  were  added  to  those 
already  held  by  Agrippa.  During  the  brief  wild  reign  of  Caligula, 
Agrippa  continued  his  faithful  friend,  and  used  his  influence  on  be- 
half of  the  Jews.  Having  paid  the  last  honors  to  his  patron's  re- 
mains, he  smoothed  the  path  of  his  successor  to  the  throne  by  his 
activity  and  discretion  in  carrying  messages  between  the  Senate  and 
the  praetorian  camp.  Claudius  rewarded  him  with  the  kingdom  of 
Judaea  and  Samaria,  in  addition  to  his  tetrarchy,  and  thus  the  do- 
minions of  Herod  the  Great  were  reunited  for  a  short  time  under 
his  grandson,  who  is  commonly  called  Herod  Agrippal.  (a.d.  41-46). 
Claudius  issued  an  edict  of  toleration  for  the  Jewish  religion,  and 
gave  Agrippa  authority  over  the  temple.  Unlike  the  other  princes 
of  his  family,  Agrippa  was  a  strict  observer  of  the  Law,  and  he 
sought  with  success  the  favor  of  the  Jews.  He  resided  much  at 
Jerusalem,  and,  besides  other  works,  added  a  new  wall  to  its  de- 
fenses, inclosing  the  suburb  of  Bezetha,  or  the  "New  City."  To 
please  the  Jews,  he  beheaded  the  first  apostolic  martyr,  James,  the 
brother  of  John,  and  followed  up  the  stroke  by  the  imprisonment  of 
Peter.  It  was  during  the  Passover,  probably  in  the  last  year  of 
Herod's  short  reign  (a.d.  44),  that  he  placed  Peter  under  the  strict- 
est guard,  intending  to  gratify  the  people  by  his  death  as  soon  as 
the  feast  was  over.  In  the  graphic  story  of  the  apostle's  release  by 
an  angel  on  the  night  before  the  day  fixed  for  the  execution,  we 
first  meet  the  name  of  John  Mark,  in  all  probability  the  Evangelist 
(Acts  xii.  1-19). 

The  divine  vengeance  on  the  persecutor,  which  the  sacred  writer 
tells  with  such  stern  simplicity,  is  illustrated  by  the  fuller  narrative 
of  the  Jewish  historian.  Nature  had  secured  for  Agrippa  the  in- 
heritance of  at  least  one  part  of  the  greatness  of  Solomon.  Now, 
as  then,  the  maritime  cities  of  Phoenicia  depended  for  their  corn 
upon  the  produce  of  the  fertile  plain  districts  of  Palestine  :  "  Their 
country  was  nourished  by  the  king's  country"  (Acts  xii.  20).  The 
vast  influence  which  he  thus  exerted  is  proved  by  the  humility 
with  which  the  Tyrians  and  Sidonians  deprecated  his  resentment; 
and  the  pomp  amidst  which  he  received  their  envoys  at  Caasarea, 
indicating  a  desire  to  assume  all  the  greatness  of  his  grandfather, 
only  made  the  likeness  of  their  deaths  the  more  conspicuous.     Id 


A.D.  37-50.  HEROD  AGRIPPA  I.  323 

the  fourth  year  of  his  reign  over  the  whole  of  Judaea,  soon  after 
Peter's  escape  (Acts  xii.  19),  Agrippa  celebrated  some  games  at 
Caesarea  in  honor  of  the  emperor.  When  he  appeared  in  the 
theatre  on  the  second  day  in  a  royal  robe  made  entirely  of  silver 
stuff,  which  shone  in  the  morning  light,  his  flatterers  saluted  him 
as  a  god ;  and  suddenly  he  was  seized  with  terrible  pains,  and. 
being  carried  from  the  theatre  to  the  palace,  died,  after  five  days' 
agony,  a  loathsome  death,  like  those  of  the  great  persecutors,  An. 
tiochus  Epiphanes,  and  his  own  grandfather.  "After  being  rack- 
ed for  five  days  with  intestine  pain"  (Josephus),  "he  was  eaten 
of  worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost,"  a. d.  41  or  45  (Acts  xii.  23).  The 
miraculous  and  judicial  character  of  his  deatli  is  distinctly  affirmed 
by  the  sacred  historian  :  "  Immediately  the  angel  of  the  Lord  smote 
him,  because  he  gave  not  God  the  glory. "  The  Greeks  of  Sebaste 
and  Caesarea,  with  his  own  soldiers,  showed  brutal  exultation  at  his 
death,  and  the  censure  which  the  riot  brought  down  from  Claudius 
upon  the  Roman  soldiers  imbittered  their  feelings  towards  the  Jews 
to  such  a  degree  that  Josephus  regards  this  as  one  of  the  chief  causes 
of  the  Jewish  war.  Herod's  dominions,  which  included  the  whole 
of  Palestine,  were  now  finally  reduced  to  the  Roman  province  of 
Judrca,  the  youth  of  his  son  Agrippa  (age  17),  who  was  now  at 
Rome,  being  made  an  excuse  by  Claudius  for  not  giving  him  his 
father's  kingdom.  But  Agrippa's  ecclesiastical  power  was  trans- 
ferred to  his  brother  Herod,  whom  Claudius  had  made  king  of 
Chalcis,  and  on  his  death,  five  years  later,  that  petty  principality 
was  given  to  the  young  Agrippa,  who  will  soon  appear  in  the  story 
as  "  King  Agkippa  II." 

The  famine,  which  Josephus  places  under  Cuspius  Fadus,  the 
first  procurator  of  the  reunited  province,  seems  to  be  that  which  was 
prophesied  to  the  Church  of  Antioch  by  the  same  Agabus  who  af- 
terwards warned  Paul  of  his  imprisonment  (Acts  xi.  27,  28 ;  xxi. 
10).  It  can  not  but  be  regarded  as  a  special  act  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence that  knit  together  in  "  the  fellowship  of  giving  and  receiving" 
the  two  branches  of  the  Church,  which  had  thus  grown  up  among 
the  Jews  and  Greeks,  and  which  might  have  been  tempted  into  ri- 
valry. The  "Christians"  of  Antioch  proved  worthy  of  their  new 
name,  and  sent  relief  to  the  brethren  in  Judaea  by  the  hands  of 
Barnabas  and  Saul,  a.d.  45  (Acts  xi.  27-30).  It  was  probably  on 
this  second  visit  to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion  that  the  apostle 
was  encouraged  by  that  marvellous  rapture  in  the  temple,  which 
required  the  chastening  of  "  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  the  messenger  of 
Satan  to  buffet  him,  lest  he  should  be  exalted  above  measure  through 
the  abundance  of  the  revelations"  (2  Cor.  xii.  2-9). 

When  Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  to  Antioch,  after  fulfilling 


324  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.        Chap.  XXVIII. 

their  mission,  they  took  with  them  John  Mark,  the  cousin  of  Bar- 
nabas  (Acts  xii.  25).  In  the  course  of  their  ministry,  with  other 
prophets  and  teachers  in  that  Church  (Acts  xiii.  1),  they  were  sum- 
moned to  the  last  step  in  the  progress  of  the  Gospel — its  preaching 
to  the  heathen  world — by  the  word  of  the  Holy  Ghost — "  Separate 
me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  wherunto  I  have  called  them. 
And  when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  hands  on  them, 
they  sent  them  away  "  (Acts  xiii.  2,  3).  This  was  a  distinct  asso- 
ciation of  Barnabas  with  Saul  in  the  apostleship ;  for  both  are 
called  apostles  (Acts  xiv.  4,  14). 

First  Missionary  Journey  of  Barnabas  and  Saul. — The  two  apos- 
tles, with  John  Mark  as  a  sort  of  subordinate  minister,  embarked 
at  Seleucia,  the  port  of  Antioch,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Orontes,  for 
Salamis  in  Cyprus,  where,  according  to  the  law  ordained  by  Christ, 
and  always  followed  by  them,  they  began  their  ministry  by  preach- 
ing the  Word  of  God  in  the  synagogues  of  the  Jews  (Acts  xiii.  4, 
5).  Thus  they  traversed  the  length  of  Cyprus,  from  Salamis,  on 
the  eastern  coast,  to  Paphos,  on  the  western.  The  latter  city, 
celebrated  throughout  Greek  history  for  the  orgies  of  Venus,  was 
now  the  residence  of  the  Roman  proconsul,  Sergius  Paulus,  the 
first  actual  heathen  whose  conversion  is  on  record.  The  Jewish 
sorcerer  and  false  prophet,  Elymas  or  Bar-Jesus  (i.  e.,  "  Son  of  Je- 
sus"),  who  "  withstood  them,  seeking  to  turn  away  the  deputy  from 
the  faith,"  was  smitten  with  blindness  at  the  word  of  "  Saul,  who 
also  is  called  Paul."  The  name  thus  associated  with  the  first 
miracle  that  attested  his  mission  is  used  afterwards  throughout  the 
narrative,  and  always  in  his  own  epistles  (Acts  xiii.  1-12).  Up  to 
this  point,  also,  the  name  of  Barnabas  has  taken  precedence  of 
Saul's;  but  henceforth  the  order  is  generally  inverted  ;  and  so  we 
at  once  read  that  "Paul  and  his  company"  sailed  from  Paphos  to 
Perga,  one  of  the  two  chief  ports  of  Pamphylia.  Here  John  Mark 
left  them  and  returned  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  xiii.  13). 

The  port  of  Perga  gave  the  readiest  access  to  the  districts  of 
Pisidia  and  Lycaonia,  beyond  the  Taurus,  which  abounded  with 
Jewish  synagogues.  The  passage  of  that  mountain  chain,  long 
regarded  as  one  of  the  great  lines  of  demarkation  between  the 
Graeco-Roman  and  Oriental  worlds,  marks  the  epoch  at  which  the 
Gospel  overpassed  the  limits  of  Semitic  civilization.  This  new  en- 
terprise was  beset  with  dangers.  The  highlands  of  Pisidia  could 
only  be  penetrated  by  passes,  subject  to  be  swept  by  the  sudden 
rise  of  the  mountain  torrents,  and  infested  by  the  wildest  ban- 
ditti in  the  world ;  and  the  apostles  went  forward  through  "per- 
ils of  rivers  and  perils  of  robbers  "  only  to  plunge  into  "  perils  from 
their  kindred,  perils  from  the  heathen  "  (2  Cor.  xi.  26). 


A.D.  37-50.     FIRST  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.  825 

Their  first  halting-place  was  at  Antioch:,  in  Pisidia,  founded, 
like  the  Syrian  Antioch,  by  Seleucus  Nicator,  and  named  after  his 
father  Antiochus — a  place  scarcely  second  to  the  other  for  its  im- 
portance in  the  history  of  Gentile  Christianity.  It  was  here  that 
Paul  made  the  first  formal  declaration,  that  the  offer  of  salvation, 
rejected  by  the  Jews,  was  handed  over  to  the  Gentiles ;  and  here 
he  first  proclaimed  the  doctrine  of  that  justification  by  faith  in 
Christ  which  can  not  be  found  in  the  law  of  Moses.  The  truth 
was  first  preached  here,  as  elsewhere,  to  the  Jews  in  the  synagogue, 
in  a  discourse  which  goes  over  much  the  same  historic  ground  as 
Stephen's  defense  before  the  Sanhedrim,  and  every  word  of  which 
demands  careful  study  (Acts  xiii.  14-41).  It  gained  many  con- 
verts (Acts  xiii.  43),  and  made  so  deep  an  impression  on  the  whole 
that  "they  besought  that  these  words  might  be  preached  to  them 
the  next  Sabbath"  (verse  42).  The  week  was  so  well  spent  (verse 
44),  that  on  the  following  Sabbath  almost  all  the  people  of  the  lit- 
tle town  flocked  to  the  synagogue  to  hear  the  Word  of  God.  But 
when  the  Jews  saw  the  Gentiles  coining  to  the  same  source  of  re- 
ligious light  as  themselves,  their  envy  was  roused,  and  "  they  spake 
against  the  things  spoken  by  Paul,  contradicting  and  blaspheming."' 
This  sudden  outburst  of  hostility  revealed  the  whole  spirit  of  Jew- 
ish and  Judaizing  enmity  to  the  Gospel,  and  Paul  and  Barnabas 
were  now  inspired  with  the  full  sense  of  their  new  mission  to  that 
degree  of  "  boldness  "  which  was  needed  for  Jews  addressing  Jews 
to  say,  "It  was  necessary  that  the  Word  of  God  should  first  have 
been  spoken  to  you  ;  but,  seeing  ye  put  it  from  you,  and  judge  your- 
selces  unworthy  of  eternal  life,  Lo!  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles  " — 
a  course  which  they  justify  by  the  same  prophecy  which  was  quoted 
by  the  aged  Simeon  at  Christ's  first,  appearance  in  the  temple. 
The  announcement  caused  great  joy  among  the  Gentiles,  "and  as 
many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life  believed  :  and  the  word  of 
the  Lord  was  published  throughout  all  the  region."  This  success 
raised  the  anger  of  the  Jews  to  the  highest  pitch ;  and  then  began 
the  persecution  which  Paul  had  now  to  suffer  from  them  at  every 
step.  Driven  from  their  bounds,  and  shaking  off  the  dust  of  their 
feet  against  them,  as  Jesus  had  commanded,  Paul  and  Barnabas 
same  to  Iconium,  but  they  left  behind  at  Antioch  a  joyful  and  vig- 
orous Church  (Acts  xiii.  44-52). 

At  Iconium  they  staid  long,  and  -had  great  success ;  but  the  un- 
believing Jews  raised  a  persecution  by  the  new  method  of  stirring 
up  disaffection  among  the  Gentiles.  Warned  of  a  combined  at- 
tempt to  stone  them,  "  the  apostles  "  fled  to  the  eastern  and  wilder 
parts  of  Lycaonia.  In  this  primitive  region  there  were  no  Jew- 
ish synagogues  and  but  little  Greek  civilization  ;  and  they  preached 


326  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.       Chap.  XXVIII. 

the  Gospel  to  the  natives  in  the  cities  of  Lystra  and  Derbe.  At 
Lystra  the  miracle  of  healing  a  cripple  caused  the  people  to  ex- 
claim, in  the  dialect  of  Lycaonia,  "The  pods  are  come  down  to  us 
in  the  likeness  of  men,"  and  to  try  to  offer  them  sacrifice.  The 
attempt  called  forth  a  discourse,  which  may  be  regarded  as  the 
type  of  those  first  addressed  to  mere  heathen.  This  discourse 
made  converts  (verse  20);  but  the  people  in  general  were  disap- 
pointed at  the  repulse  of  the  honors  they  had  offered  ;  and,  at  the 
instigation  of  certain  Jews  who  came  from  Antioch  and  Iconium, 
Paul  was  stoned  and  dragged  out  of  the  city  for  dead.  But,  as  the 
new  disciples  stood  round  him,  he  revived  and  returned  into  the 
city,  whence  lie  and  Barnabas  departed  the  next  day  for  Derbe, 
and  there  they  gained  many  disciples  (Acts  xiv.  1-21). 

This  was  the  farthest  point  of  the  present  journey  :  and  they  re- 
traced their  route  through  Lystra,  Iconium,  and  Antioch,  to  Perga 
and  the  port  of  Attalia,  where  they  embarked  for  Antioch,  in  Syria. 
On  this  return  journey,  they  appointed  permanent  officers  for  the 
teaching  and  government  of  the  churches,  who  are  called  Elders, 
in  Greek,  Presbyters  (Acts  xiv.  21-28).  The  report  of  this  First 
Missionary  Journey,  made  to  the  assembled  Church  of  Antioch  by 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  convinced  them  that  "  God  had  opened  the  door 
of  faith  unto  the  Gextiles." 

But  after  some  time  the  Judaizing  spirit  tried  to  spoil  the  new 
work.  Certain  visitors  from  Judaea,  whom  Paul  does  not  hesitate 
to  call  "false  brethren  unawares  brought  in"  (Gal.  ii.  4),  insisted 
that  circumcision  and  observance  of  the  law  of  Moses  were  essential 
to  salvation,  for  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  af- 
ter vehemently  resisting  these  claims,  were  sent,  with  others,  by  the 
Church  of  Antioch  to  Jerusalem,  to  consult  the  apostles  and  elders 
on  the  question.  The  memorable  debate  which  ensued  there,  in 
which  James  and  Peter  pronounced  for  Christian  liberty,  must  be 
read  in  Acts  xv.  The  assembly,  which  has  been  called  the  "First 
Council  at  Jerusalem,"  was  able  to  claim  divine  authority  (verse 
28)  for  the  decree  which  was  carried  bnck  to  Antioch  by  Barnaba3 
and  Paul,  accompanied  by  two  "prophets,  Judas  Barsabas  and 
Silas,  of  whom  the  latter  soon  becomes  conspicuous  as  Paul's  com 
panion.  This  third  visit  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem,  since  his  convers:on, 
is  probably  that  referred  to  in  Galatians  ii.  If  so,  we  have  these 
two  interesting  results:  first,  that  Titus  went  with  Paul,  and  that 
the  liberty  claimed  was  established  in  his  ease  (Gal.  ii.  3)  ;  and, 
secondly,  that  Paul's  friendly  rebuke  to  Peter,  for  his  Judaizing  at 
Antioch,  occurred  hetween  the  first  and  second  Missionary  Jour- 
nevs. 


Thessalonii  a. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


ST.  PAUL  8   SECOND  OR  GREAT   MISSIONARY    JOURNEY,    AND    THE    EN- 
TRANCE   OF     THE    GOSPEL    INTO    EUROPE. A.D.    49    OR    51    TO    53 

OR    54. 

Having  now  seen  what  may  be  called  the  typical  cases  of  the  first 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  first  to  the  Jeivs,  next  to  the  Samaritans, 
then  to  the  different  classes  of  Proselytes,  and  lastly  to  the  hea- 
then Gentiles,  we  touch  but  briefly  on  the  numerous  incidents  of 
St.  Paul's  Second  Missionary  Journey.  It  is  memorable  for  its  wide 
3xtent,  its  long  duration,  and,  above  all,  for  the  introduction  of 
Christianity  into  Europe  ;  though  the  apostle's  labors  were  still  con- 
fined to  that  eastern  division  of  the  Roman  Empire  which  was 
marked  by  the  Adriatic.  The  journey  extended  over  the  space  of 
more  than  three  or  four  years  (of  which  eighteen  months  were  spent 
at  Corinth).     Beginning  at  Antioch,  it  embraced  Cilicia,  Lycaonia, 


328  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIX. 

Phrygia,  Galatia,  Mysia,  and  the  Troad ;  and,  in  Europe,  Macedo- 
nia, Athens,  and  Corinth  ;  whence  Paul  crossed  the  iEgean  to  Eph- 
esus,  and  thence  sailed  to  Cassarea,  and  so,  after  a  hasty  visit  to  Je- 
rusalem, returned  to  Antioch  (Acts  xv.  36-xviii.  24). 

This  great  enterprise  began  with  no  parade  of  promises  or  prep- 
aration, but  in  the  natural  proposal  of  Paul  to  Barnabas,  that  they 
should  revisit  the  brethren  in  all  the  cities  where  they  had  preached 
the  Gospel,  and  inquire  after  their  welfare  (Acts  xv.  36).  Paul's 
refusal  of  the  proposal  of  Barnabas  to  take  John  Mark  again  with 
them,  because  before  "  he  went  not  with  them  to  the  work,"  led  to 
a  sharp  personal  quarrel.  But  the  providence  of  God  overruled  hu- 
man infirmities,  and  the  result  of  the  separation  of  the  former  com- 
rades was  that  two  apostolic  missions  went  forth  instead  of  one. 
Barnabas,  with  Mark,  sailed  as  before  to  Cyprus,  his  native  island ; 
and  he  is  not  again  mentioned  in  the  Acts  (Acts  xv.  37-39).  In  the 
Epistles,  however,  Paul  not  only  refers  to  his  old  comrade  with  af- 
fection and  respect  (Gal.  ii.  1,9,  13),  but  in  a  later  passage  he  seems 
to  imply  that  Barnabas  was  still  laboring  among  the  Gentiles,  main- 
tained, like  himself,  by  the  work  of  his  own  hands  (1  Cor.  ix.  6). 
Of  Mark's  well-earned  recovery  of  Paul's  favor,  we  have  pleasant 
proofs.  Not  only  do  we  find  him  restored  to  the  apostle's  intimacy 
during  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  commended  to  the  Church 
at  Colossse  (Col.  iv.  10),  and  acknowledged  as  his  fellow-laborer 
(Philemon  2+),  but  we  hear  Paul,  among  his  last  words,  desiring 
that  very  aid  from  Mark  which  he  had  once  rejected  :  "  Take  Mark 
and  bring  him  with  thee,  for  he  is  profitable  to  me  for  the  ministry" 
(2  Tim.  iv.  11).  In  the  interval  between  St.  Paul's  first  and  second 
imprisonments,  Mark  seems  to  have  been  brought  again,  by  that 
journey  to  the  East  to  which  Paul  alludes  as  contemplated,  into  co- 
operation with  Peter,  with  whom  we  find  him  at  Babylon,  and  who 
speaks  of  him  affectionately  as  "my  son"  (1  Pet.  v.  13).  Mean- 
while Paul  found  a  new  companion  in  Silas,  whom  we  have  seen 
transferred  from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch ;  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  little  band  was  increased  by  the  most  congenial  fellowship  of 
Timothy.  Hence  the  laborers  in  this  work  are  described  by  the 
apostle  himself  by  the  formula — "  Paul  and  Silvanus  and  Timo- 
theus"  (1  Thess.  i.  1  ;  2  Thess.  i.  1).  Luke  (as  is  clearly  shown 
by  the  sudden  transition  of  his  narrative  to  the  first  person  and  back 
again  to  the  third)  joined  Paul's  company  at  Alexandria  Troas,  but 
was  left  behind  at  Philippi,  and  does  not  appear  again  in  this  jour- 
ney (Acts  xvi.  10;  xvii.  1). 

Commended  by  the  brethren  to  the  grace  of  God,  Paul  and  Silas 
first  visited  the  Churches  of  Syria  and  Cilicia;  probably  those 
which  the  apostle  had  planted  soon  after  his  conversion  (comp.  Gal. 


A.D.  51-54.     ST.  PAUL'S  SECOND  CIRCUIT.  329 

i.  21),  to  which  the  "decrees"  of  the  assembly  at  Jerusalem  were 
especially  addressed  (Acts  xv.  40,  41  ;  comp.  23).  Then  crossing 
the  Taurus,  he  traversed  his  old  ground  in  Lycaonia,  but  in  the  re- 
Terse  order,  by  Derbe,  Lystra,  and  Iconium,  delivering  the  decrees 
to  the  Churches.  At  Lystra,  he  chose  Timotheus  (Timothy),  a 
youthful  convert  of  his  former  visit,  to  be  his  companion  ;  and  he 
was  ordained  to  the  work,  and  probably  with  the  title,  of  an  Evan- 
gelist, by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Elders  (1  Tim.  iv.  14  ;  2 
Tim.  i.  6  ;  iv.  5).  His  Jewish  mother  Eunice,  with  his  grandmother 
Lois,  had  taught  him  from  a  child  to  know  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  imbued  him  with  their  own  "  unfeigned  faith  "  (2  Tim.  i.  5  ;  iil 
15).  But,  as  his  father  was  a  Greek,  Paul  circumcised  him,  to  avoid 
offending  the  many  Jews  in  those  parts  (Acts  xvi.  1-3). 

At  Iconium,  or  possibly  at  Antioch,  Paul,  with  Silas  and  Timo- 
thy, left  the  track  of  his  first  journey,  and — doubtless  guided  by 
those  divine  directions  which  attended  each  successive  stage  of 
their  progress — they  turned  northward  into  the  central  region  of 
Asia  Minor,  which  is  described  by  the  general  phrase  of  "Phrygia 
and  the  region  of  Galatia ;"  and  all  that  we  learn  further  from  St. 
Luke  of  their  course  through  the  peninsula  is  this :  Being  forbidden 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  word  in  Asia  (the  Roman  province), 
they  came  into  the  eastern  border  of  Mysia,  and  endeavored  to  enter 
Bithynia;  but  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  did  not  permit  them.  So  they 
passed  through  Mysia  into  the  Troad  ;  and  there,  at  the  city  of 
Alexandria  Troas,  Paul  saw  the  vision  which  called  them  over  into 
Europe  (Acts  xvi.  G-9).  This  brief  outline  may  be  in  part  filled 
up  from  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Galatians.  That.  Celtic  people  re- 
ceived Paul's  simple  proclamation  of  "  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ"  with  enthusiastic  but  short-lived  devotion  to  his  own  per- 
son. We  have  no  mention  of  any  central  Church  founded  in  any 
of  the  Galatian  cities  ;  not  even  Ancvra,  the  capital,  being  so  much 
as  named.  The  Churches  of  Galatia  (Gal.  i.  2)  were  doubtless  scat- 
tered among  the  villages  of  that  patriarchal  people ;  and  this  iso- 
lation may  have  exposed  them  the  more  readily  to  the  attacks  of 
the  Judaizing  perverters,  who  systematically  dogged  the  footsteps 
ofPaul. 

Of  the  reasons  for  which  the  apostolic  band  were  forbidden  tc 
enter  Bithynia  or  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  the  province  of  Asia,  the 
sacred  narrative  is  silent.  We  only  see  that  their  path,  thus  hedged 
up  on  the  right  and  the  left,  was  guided  to  the  spot  where  it  was 
revealed  that  they  had  been  thus  brought  down  to  the  extremity  of 
Asia  in  order  to  carry  over  the  Gospel  into  Europe.  Nearly  four 
centuries  had  passed  since  the  Macedonian  conqueror  crossed  the 
Hellespont  to  overthrow  the  great  despotism  that  enthralled  Asia; 


330  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIX. 

and  now,  near  that  plain  of  Troy  on  which  Alexander  staid  to  in 
dulge  the  dream  of  rivalling  the  fame  of  his  ancestor  Achilles,  at 
the  very  city  named  in  the  conqueror's  honor,  Alexandria  Troas, 
St.  Paul  beheld  in  vision  another  "man  of  Macedonia"  uttering 
the  cry  of  the  Western  World  suffering  beneath  the  despotism  of 
sin,  and  calling  to  the  soldiers  of  the  cross,  "  Come  over  and  help 
us."  The  power  which  had  led  Europe  to  the  armed  conquest  of 
Asia  was  the  first  to  invite  this  spiritual  conquest  in  return.  Not  a 
'doubt  could  enter  the  apostle's  mind  about  the  nature  of  the  "help" 
he  was  called  to  give ;  and  so  Luke,  speaking  now  in  the  first  per- 
son, as  having  here  joined  Paul  and  Timothy  and  Silas,  says,  "Im- 
mediately we  endeavored  to  go  into  Macedonia,  assuredly  gather- 
ing  that  the  Lord  had  called  us  to  preach  the  Gospel  unto  them  " 
(Acts  xvi.  9,  10). 

From  Troas  they  sailed  in  two  days  to  Neapolis,  on  the  Strymo- 
nic  Gulf,  and  thence  they  followed  the  Roman  road  (ria  Egnatia)  to 
the  Augustan  colony  of  PiiiLirpi,  which  was  now  the  chief  city  of 
Eastern  Macedonia,  though  the  capital  of  the  province  was  atThes- 
salonica  (Acts  xvi.  12).  As  being  more  a  military  than  a  commer- 
cial city,  it  was  not  likely  to  have  many  Jewish  residents  ;  and,  in- 
stead of  a  synagogue,  the  Jews  only  possessed  an  oratory  {npocei'xi) 
outside  the  city,  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  rivulets  which  gave  the 
place  its  ancient  name  of  "the  Springs."  Paul  and  his  compan- 
ions joined  their  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  and  from  among  the 
proselytes  a  type  of  one  class  of  converts  were  furnished  by  Ltdia, 
a  seller  of  purple  stuffs  from  Thyatira,  "  whose  heart  the  Lord 
opened,  that  she  attended  unto  the  things  which  were  spoken  of 
Paul."  By  her  baptism,  with  her  household,  Lydia  gave  the  first  re- 
corded example  of  that  great  character  which  Christianity  shares 
with  Judaism  as  &  family  religion  ;  and  she  followed  it  up  with  the 
first  great  example  of  Christian  hospitality,  constraining  the  apos- 
tolic band  to  become  her  guests  during  their  stay  in  Philippi  (Acts 
xvi.  13-15,  40). 

While  passing  to  and  from  their  place  of  prayer,  Paul  and  his 
companions  were  followed  by  a  slave-girl,  whose  possession  hy  an 
>evil  spirit  "  of  Python  "  (pretending  to  be  inspired  by  Apollo)  was 
a  great  source  of  gain  to  the  owners  who  trafficked  in  her  oracles. 
She  bore  witness  for  many  days  to  these  "  servants  of  the  most  high 
God,  which  show  unto  us  the  way  of  salvation,"  till  Paul,  with 
his  patience  exhausted,  turned  round  and  proved  the  truth  of  her 
confession  by  bidding  the  spirit,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come 
out  of  her  ;  and  it  came  out  the  same  hour  (Acts  xvi.  16-18).  En- 
raged at  the  destruction  of  their  "property,"  the  masters  of  the 
slave-girl  seized  Paul  and  Silas,  and  dragged  them  before  the  local 


A.D.  51-54.  EVENTS  AT  PHILIPPI.  331 

magistrates  sitting  in  the  Forum.  They  preferred  the  charge  that 
these  Jews  raised  a  tumult  in  the  city,  and  taught  customs  unlaw- 
ful for  Romans  to  adopt.  The  clamor  of  the  multitude  stood  in 
place  of  evidence  and  deliberation  ;  and  the  alarmed  magistrates 
tore  off  the  prisoners'  clothes,  and  ordered  them  to  lie  beaten  with 
rods.  Then,  bleeding  from  a  Roman  scourging  of  unusual  severi- 
ty, they  wei-e  delivered  to  the  jailer  with  a  charge  to  keep  them 
safe  ;  and  the  brutal  officer  thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  add- 
ing the  torture  of  making  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks,  a  bar  of  wood 
or  iron  to  which  the  feet  were  bound  in  a  most  painful  attitude. 
We  must  turn  to  the  sacred  page  for  what  followed  :  their  hymns, 
which  were  heard  at  midnight  through  the  prison  ;  the  earthquake 
which  shook  its  walls,  and  brought  the  jailer  to  their  feet  with  the 
cry,  "Sirs!  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  the  change  of  his  rude 
spirit,  so  strikingly  in  contrast  with  the  quiet  conversion  of  Lydia, 
which,  however,  it  resembled  in  the  inclusion  of  his  household;  the 
release  of  the  prisoners  in  the  morning  by  the  terrified  magistrates, 
from  whom  Paul  claimed  the  right  of  citizenship,  which  their  hasty 
violence  had  not  given  him  time  to  plead  before  (Acts  xvi.  16-40). 

Having  first  returned  to  the  house  of  Lydia,  and  exhorted  the 
brethren,  Paul  and  Silas  went  on  their  way  through  Macedonia, 
leaving  Luke,  and  apparently  Timothy  also,  to  build  up  the  newly- 
founded  Church,  with  the  aid,  doubtless,  of  presbyters,  and  of  those 
Christian  women,  the  original  companions  of  Lydia  at  the  oratory, 
whose  labors  with  him  in  the  Gospel  Paul  records  in  his  Epistle  to 
the  Church  (Phil.  iv.  3).  In  that  Epistle,  too,  we  have  proofs  of 
the  tender  affection  and  generous  feeling  which  bound  together  Paul 
and  his  Philippian  converts  from  this  day  to  his  imprisonment  at 
Rome  (Phil.  i.  3-8;  iv.  1,  15,  1G). 

Passing  through  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia,  the  apostle  arrived 
with  Silas  at  Thessalonica,  at  the  head  of  the  Thermaic  Gulf. 
Not  only  important  as  the  Roman  capital  of  Macedonia,  but  as  a 
commercial  city  second  only  to  Athens  and  Corinth,  Thessalonica 
was  further  suited  to  be  a  centre  of  Christianity  by  possessing  a 
synagogue  of  the  Jews,  who  were  attracted  thither  by  its  trade. 
Paul,  according  to  his  custom,  went  into  the  synagogue  on  three: 
successive  Sabbaths,  and  reasoned  with  the  Jews  out  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, like  the  Lord  himself  on  the  way  to  Emmaus,  "that  Christ 
must  needs  have  suffered,  and  risen  again  from  the  dead  :  and  that 
this  Jesus  whom  I  preach  unto  you  is  Christ."  His  preaching 
made  numerous  converts  among  the  Greek  proselytes,  and  among 
the  women  of  high  station.  This  success,  as  at  Antioch,  in  Pisidia, 
roused  the  envy  of  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  casiry  raised  a  tumult 
among  the  vagabonds  and  idlers  in  the  market  of  this  great  port. 


332  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIX. 

The  mob  attacked  the  house  of  Jason  (probably  a  Hellenist,  with 
whom  Paul  and  Silas  were  staying),  intending  to  bring  them  forth 
to  the  vengeance  of  the  people  ;  but,  not  finding  them  there,  they 
dragged  Jason  and  certain  brethren  before  the  magistrates  of  Thes- 
galonica.  To  the  general  outcry,  that  Jason  had  received  "these 
men  who  have  come  hither  also,  turning  the  world  upside  down  " 
■ — and  well  it  needed  such  a  restoration  of  the  order  which  sin 
had  long  since  inverted — they  added  the  specific  charge,  which  so 
strongly  appealed  to  the  fears  of  a  magistrate  under  Rome  :  "And 
all  these  do  contrary  to  the  decrees  of  Cesar,  saying  that  there  is 
another  king,  Jesus."  Though  sharing  in  the  general  apitation, 
the  magistrates  did  not,  like  the  praetors  of  Philippi,  forget  their 
judicial  character.  They  were  content  to  take  security  of  Jason 
and  the  rest ;  and  the  brethren  immediately  sent  away  Paul  and 
Silas  by  night  to  Bercea  (Acts  xvii.  1-10).  The  length  of  Paul's 
stay  at  Thessalonica  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  Philippians 
sent  twice  to  relieve  his  necessities  (Phil.  iv.  15,  16). 

Bercea,  which  lies  south-west  of  Thessalonica,  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  Mt.  Olympus,  is  memorable  for  the  "  noble"  spirit  of  its 
Jews,  who  "-received  the  word  with  all  readiness  of  mind,  and 
searched  the  Scriptures  daily,  whether  these  things  were  so ;"  and 
"  therefore  (as  the  natural  result  of  such  reading)  many  of  them  be- 
lieved "  (Acts  xvii.  10-12;  comp.  John  v.  39).  This' the  Thessa- 
lonian  Jews  no  sooner  heard,  than  they  completed  the  parallel  to 
those  of  the  Pisidian  Antioch  by  pursuing  the  apostle  to  Bercea,  and 
stirring  up  the  people;  and  a  tumult  was  only  avoided  by  Paul's 
departure  for  the  coast,  whence  he  set  sail  for  Athens.  The  haste 
and  secrecy  of  the  movement  is  seen  in  his  leaving  behind  Silas 
and  Timothy  (who  had  rejoined  him  either  at  Thessalonica  or  Be- 
rcea), and  sending  back  word  to  them  by  the  brethren  who  had  es- 
corted him  to  Athens  to  join  him  with  all  speed  (Acts  xvii.  13-15). 

How,  while  waiting  for  them  at  Athens,  "  his  spirit  was  stirred 
within  him  "  to  the  controversy  which  resulted  in  the  great  discourse 
commonly  called  "Paul's  Sermon  at  Athens,"  must  be  read  in 
Acts  xvii.  16-34:,  reserving  for  future  study  the  points  of  deep  in- 
terest arising  out  of  the  narrative.  It  is  enough  here  to  say  that 
that  discourse  is  the  great  type  of  the  appeal  to  heathens,  founded 
on  what  they  retain  of  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  on  their  confes- 
sions of  dependence  on  him  as  their  creator  and  preserver,  and 
their  relation  to  him  as  their  Father ;  thus  showing  who  it  is  that 
they  really  worship  as  their  "  God  unknown."  But  the  announce- 
ment of  the  Reswrection  proved  "foolishness  to  the  Greeks,"  and 
so  he  departed  from  among  them.  The  intellectual  capital  of  tho 
world  was  not  marked  for  distinction  in  the  annals  of  Christianity. 


A.D.  51-54.  ST.  PAUL  AT  CORINTH.  •         333 

No  epistle  or  visit  records  any  further  intercourse  of  Paul  with 
Athens.  But  even  here  a  few  converts  were  gained  ;  some  of  them, 
as  elsewhere,  among  the  most  intelligent  men  and  women  of  dis- 
tinction ;  classes  represented  by  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  and  a 
woman  named  Damans.  These  believers,  if  few  in  number,  were 
firmly  attached  to  the  apostle  (Acts  xvii.  34).  The  narrative  leaves 
it  uncertain  how  long  Paul  staid  at  Athens,  and  whether  some  per- 
secution or  danger  did  not  cause  him  to  depart  without  waiting  for 
Silas  and  Timothy,  who  rejoined  him  at  Coiinth  (Acts  xviii.  1,  5). 

Corinth,  which  now  ranked  as  the  Roman  capital  of  Greece,  is 
conspicuous  not  only  in  Europe,  but  above  every  city  in  the  world 
— Jerusalem  and  Antioch  scarcely  excepted — in  connection  with 
the  history  and  teaching  and  writings  of  St.  Paul.  It  claims  this 
distinction  as  the  residence  of  the  apostle  during  bis  most  critical 
contests,  both  with  the  Jews  and  Greeks,  in  defense  of  the  very  es- 
sence of  the  Gospel ;  as  the  place  whence  he  wrote  his  first  apostol- 
ic letters — the  two  Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians ;  as  the  Church  to 
which  he  addressed  those  other  two  Epistles,  which  not  only  con- 
tain the  fullest  directions  on  matters  of  Christian  faith  and  practice 
— the  order  of  the  Church,  and  the  principles  regulating  her  spirit- 
ual gifts  and  her  Christian  liberality,  her  ministry  and  her  sacra- 
ments, the  supreme  law  of  Christian  love  and  the  clearest  statement 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection — but  which  reiterate,  in  terms 
unequalled  in  human  language  for  simplicity  and  force,  the  one 
great  central  truth  of  the  whole  Gospel — Jesus  Christ  and  him 
crucifikd.  But  the  record  of  Paul's  long  stay  at  Corinth  on  this 
first  visit  is  very  brief;  and  our  plan  does  not  admit  of  discussing 
the  light  thrown  upon  it  by  his  Epistles,  written  now  to  the  Thessa- 
lonians, and  afterwards  to  the  Corinthians  themselves. 

While,  at  Corinth,  as  before  at  Athens,  Paul  was  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  Silas  and  Timotheus,  lie  gained  unexpected  fellow-labor- 
ers in  Aquila,  a  Jew  of  Pontus,  and  his  wife  Priscilla,  who  had 
lately  arrived  from  Italy,  in  consequence  of  the  edict  of  Claudius, 
expelling  all  Jews  from  Rome  (a.d.  52).  Finding  them  already 
established  at  Corinth  in  the  same  handicraft  as  his  own — the  mak- 
ing of  Cilician  or  hair-cloth  tents — Paul  took  up  his  abode,  and 
wrought  with  these,  who  soon  became  "  his  helpers  in  Christ  Je- 
sus "  (Acts  xviii.  2,  3 ;  Rom.  xvi.  3).  Having  thus  lived  together 
during  the  eighteen  months  of  Paul's  stay  at  Corinth,  they  shared 
his  voyage  to  Ephesus.  Here  they  remained  (while  Paul  went  on 
to  Jerusalem  and  Antioch),  and  instructed  Apollos  in  the  truth. 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  have  also  the  high  distinction  of  affording  a 
home  to  Christian  churches  in  their  house  at  Ephesus,  and  again  at 
Rome,  when  they  were  able  to  return  thither  (1  Cor.  xvi-  19;   Rom. 


334  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIX. 

xvi.  3-5).  To  crown  their  eminence,  they  earned  the  thanks,  not 
of  Paul  only,  but  of  all  the  churches  of  the  Gentiles,  by  incurring 
the  risk  of  martyrdom  to  save  his  life ;  we  know  not  upon  what  oc- 
casion, perhaps  it  was  at  Ephesus  (Rom.  xvi.  4). 

The  labors  of  the  apostle  at  his  craft  of  tent-making,  with  Aquila 
and  Priscilla,  are  the  more  interesting  if  we  admit  the  supposition 
that  this  was  the  period  of  pressing  want,  from  which  he  was  re- 
lieved  by  the  arrival  of  "the  brethren  "  (Silas  and  Tiinotlieus)  from 
Macedonia  with  contributions,  especially  those  of  the  Philippians 
(2  Cor.  xi.  9;  Phil.  iv.  15).  This  seasonable  contribution  aided 
him  in  his  resolve  to  keep  himself  from  being  burdensome  to  the 
Bonverts  whom  he  was  now  about  to  gather  from  the  Gentiles.  No- 
where does  he  insist  so  forcibly  as  in  writing  to  this  very  Church, 
on  the  law  tluvt  "they  which  preach  the  Gospel  should  live  of  the 
Gospel"  (1  Cor.  ix.  7-14);  but  he  says,  "Nevertheless  we  have 
not  used  this  power ;  but  suffer  all  things,  lest  we  should  hinder 
the  Gospel  of  Christ"  (1  Cor.  ix.  12  ;  comp.  2  Cor.  xi.  10  ;  xii.  14). 

With  such  resolves,  from  his  very  first  arrival  at  Corinth,  did 
Paul  work  daily  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla.  But,  when  the  rest  of 
the  Sabbatli  came  round,  he  went  into  the  synagogue,  according  to 
his  custom,  and  labored  to  persuade  both  the  Jews  and  the  Greeks 
who  happened  to  be  present  (Acts  xviii.  4).  Some  weeks  passed 
thus,  till  the  arrival  of  Silas  and  Timothy  from  Macedonia  not  only 
gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  apostle,  but  marked  a  crisis  in  his  career. 
The  sense  of  their  help  relieved  him  from  that  depression  which  he 
describes  in  writing  to  the  Corinthians,  replacing  it  by  that  "con- 
straint ot  the  word"  (Acts  xviii.  5)  which  held  him  to  the  resolve 
of  preach iwg  nothing  else  but  "Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified" 
(1  Cor.  ii.  2,  5  :  comp.  2  Cor.  v.  14,  15;  1  Cor.  i.  18).  First  he 
spoke  plainly  to  the  Jews;  and  when,  like  those  at  Antioch,  in 
Pisidia,  they  opposed  themselves  and  blasphemed,  Paul  shook  his 
raiment,  and  said  to  them,  in  the  words  of  their  own  prophet, 
"  Your  blood  be  upon  your  own  heads'  Pure  from  it,  I  will 
henceforth  go  to  the  Gentiles"  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  4;  Acts  xviii.  6). 
From  that  day  he  forsook  the  synagogue,  his  first  act  of  open  sepa- 
ration from  Judaism,  but  continued  to  meet  his  own  flock  close  by5 
in  the  house  of  a  proselyte  named  Justus.  He  was  followed  by 
Crispus,  the  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue  (Acts  xviii.  7,  8),  whose 
baptism,  with  his  whole  house,  by  the  apostle  himself,  formed  an 
exception  to  Paul's  usual  practice  ;  for  "  Christ " — he  says — "  sent 
me  not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  Gospel"  (1  Cor.  i.  14-17). 
The  like  exception  was  made  in  favor  of  Gaius,  whose  name  stands 
recorded  in  Scripture  as  a  great  example  of  Christian  hospitality 
(Rom.  xvi.  23);   as  well  as  for  the  household  of  Stephanas,  after- 


A.D.  51-54.  ST.  PAUL  AT  CORINTH.  235 

wards  described  as  "the  first-fruits  of  Achaia,  who  had  devoted 
themselves  to  the  ministry  of  the  saints"  (1  Cor.  xvi.  15-17). 

The  news  of  this  division  among  the  Jews,  and  of  the  apostle's 
turning  to  the  Gentiles,  spread  through  the  city;  and  many  of  the 
Corinthians  believed  and  were  baptized,  probably  by  Silvanus  and 
Timotheus.  That  this  movement  roused  anew  the  extreme  fury 
of  the  Jews,  appears  from  Paul's  referring  to  their  opposition  with 
vehement  indignation  in  his  First  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians, 
which  was  written  from  Corinth  soon  after  the  arrival  of  Silvanus 
and  Timotheus  (1  Thess.  ii.  15,  16).  At  this  crisis,  the  apostle  was 
favored  with  another  of  those  supernatural  visions  which  from  the 
very  day  of  his  conversion  had  directed  and  cheered  his  course. 
The  Lord,  whom  he  had  seen  in  the  way  to  Damascus,  now  spoke 
to  him  in  the  night,  and  said  to  him,  "Be  not  afraid,  but  speak, 
and  hold  not  thy  peace :  fur  I  am  with  thee,  and  no  man  shall  set 
on  thee  to  hurt  thee  :  for  I  have  much  people  in  this  city."  Thus 
encouraged,  he  remained  in  Corinth,  teaching  the  word  of  God,  for 
a  year  and  six  months  (Acts  xviii.  9-11).  During  this  time  he 
kept  up  his  intercourse  with  the  Churches  of  Macedonia ;  and  the 
Second  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians  was  sent  not  long  after  the 
First,  chiefly  to  correct  the  misapprehensions  which  some  had 
founded  upon  the  first  respecting  the  speedy  approach  of  "  the  day 
of  the  Lord,"  Christ's  second  advent.  His  residence  at  Corinth  was 
ended  by  a  tumult,  in  which  a  Roman  magistrate  honorably  re- 
fused to  be  the  instrument  of  persecution.  Gallio,  the  proconsul 
of  Achaia  under  Claudius,  was  the  brother  of  the  great  Seneca,  and, 
like  him,  imbued  with  learning  from  his  infancy.  When,  therefore, 
the  Jews  brought  Paul  before  his  tribunal  on  the  charge  of  per- 
suading men  to  worship  God  contrary  to  the  law,  Gallio  stopped  the 
case,  just  as  Paul  was  opening  his  mouth  to  defend  himself,  de- 
claring that  he  would  be  a  judge  of  actual  crimes,  but  not  of  doc- 
trine, and  names,  and  of  their  law.  Even  when  he  suffered  the 
Corinthian  spectators  to  seize  on  Sosthenes,  the  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue, and  to  beat  him  before  the  tribunal,  Gallio's  calm  indiffer- 
ence may  have  saved  Corinth  from  one  of  those  frightful  tumults 
between  Greeks  and  Jews,  which  desolated  such  cities  as  Alexan- 
dria and  Caesarca.  The  result  of  the  tumult  seems  to  have  been 
favorable  to  the  influence  of  Paul,  who  remained  a  good  while  at 
Corinth  before  he  took  his  leave  of  the  brethren  and  sailed  for  Syria 
(Acts  xviii.  12-18). 

The  apostle  was  accompanied  by  Aquila  and  Priseilla  on  his  de 
parture  from  Cenchrea;,  the  eastern  harbor   of  Corinth.     On   his 
voyage  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  anxious  to    keep  the    coming 
feast,  he  made  a  few  days'  stay  at  Ephesus,  reasoning  in  the  s)iif»- 


336  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXIX. 

gogue  with  the  Jews,  and  promised  to  return,  "if  God  would,"  after 
he  had  been  to  Jerusalem  (Acts  xviii.  18-21).  Thence  his  voyage 
was  unbroken  to  Caesarea ;  and  his  next  movements  are  summed 
up  with  a  brevity  which  misleads  the  careless  reader:  "And  when 
he  had  landed  at  Caesarea,  and  gone  up  and  saluted  the  Church,  he 
went  down  to  Antioch"  (Acts  xviii.  22). 

In  the  middle  of  this  verse,  the  usual  phrase  for  going  to  a  chief 
city  refers  to  that  visit  to  Jerusalem  (the  fourth  since  his  conver- 
sion) to  which  he  attached  such  importance  as  to  say — "7  must  hy 
all  means  keep  this  feast  which  cometh  at  Jerusalem"  (Acts  xviii. 
21).  What  feast  ?  The  best  opinions  are  divided  between  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  on  Sept.  lGth,  a.d.  53,  and  the  Pentecost,  on 
May  31st,  a.d.  54.  At  either  he  would  meet  the  great  body  of  the 
Jewish  Christians  assembled  from  the  provinces,  and  "  salute  them" 
(Acts  xviii.  22)  with  the  news  of  what  God  had  done  among  the 
Gentiles  in  Greece  itself,  and  plead  the  cause  of  Christian  liberty 
against  the  Judaizers.  At  either  he  would  see  the  first  signs  of 
that  climax  of  misery  which  now  was  begun  in  Judcea  by  the  rapa- 
cious tyranny  of  Antonius  Claudius  Felix,  who  succeeded  Ven- 
tidius  Cumanus  as  procurator  about  midsummer,  a.d.  53.  This 
detestable  brother  of  Claudius's  favorite  freedman,  Pallas,  and  him- 
self also  a  freedman  of  the  emperor — to  use  the  terse  summary  of 
Tacitus — "  by  every  form  of  cruelty  and  lust,  wielded  the  power  of 
a  king  in  the  spirit  of  a  slave."  From  this  visit  the  apostle  went 
forth  to  oppose  the  Judaizers,  and  to  insist  on  the  duty  of  the  Gen- 
tile converts  to  help  their  suffering  Jewish  brethren.  The  contribu- 
tion made  by  Macedonia  and  Achaia  for  the  poor  of  the  saints  in 
Jerusalem  becomes  a  prominent  object  of  his  labors.  And  it  was  on 
the  very  service  of  carrying  these  contributions  to  Jerusalem  at  the 
Pentecost,  four  years  later,  that  no  remonstrances  could  deter  him 
from  risking  his  liberty  and  life  (Rom.  xv.  25-27;  1  Cor.  xvi.  1, 
2;  2  Cor.  viii.  1;  ix.  2,  12;  Acts  xix.  21  ;  xx.  3,  16;  xxi.  4,  10-17). 

Meanwhile  he  returned  from  the  feast  to  Antioch,  and  "  spent 
some  time  there  "  (Acts  xviii.  22,  23)  ;  only,  however,  a  few  months 
(see  next  chapter).  The  year  in  which  he  began  his  Third  Mis- 
sionary Journey  was  the  same  in  which  the  Emperor  Claudius  was 
murdered  by  his  infamous  consort  Agrippina,  and  succeeded  by  the 
voung  Nero,  a  name  equally  hateful  in  the  annals  of  the  Church 
and  of  the  world  (October  12th,  a.d.  54). 


Ruins  of  the  Theatre  at  Ephesus. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

st.  paul's  third  missionary  journey. — his  two  imprisonments 

at   rome,  and    his    martyrdom with    notices    of   peter, 

james,  and  john  ;  and  the  coming  of  christ  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  jerusalem. a.d.  54  to  70,  and  onward. 

It  was  either  about  the  beginning  of  a.d.  54,  or  in  the  ensuing 
autumn,  that  St.  Paul  started  from  Antioch  a  third  time  upon  his 
old  track  through  Asia  Minor,  and  "  went  over  all  the  country  of 
Galatia  and  Phrygia  in  order,  confirming  the  disciples"  (Acts  xviii. 
23).  In  Galatia,  the  troubles  caused  by  the  Judaizers  are  abun- 
dantly proved,  and  reproved,  by  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  which 
was  probably  written  from  Ephesus  in  a.d.  55.  At  Ephesus,  the 
capital  of  the  province  of  Asia,  a  remarkable  work  had  prepared 
the  way  for  Paul.  A  certain  Jew  named  AroLLos,  born  at  Alex- 
andria, an  eloquent  man  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  came  to 
Ephesus.  "  This  man  was  instructed  in  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  and, 
being  fervent  in  the  spirit,  he  spake  and  taught  diligently  the  things 
of  the  Lord,  knowing  only  the  baptism  of  John"  (Acts  xviii.  25,  26). 
This  was  clearly  a  form  of  Christian  belief — not  one  which  mado 


338  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

John  the  leader  of  a  sect ;  but  it  stopped  short  of  a  full  knowledge 
of  the  exaltation  of  Christ  and  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  at  Pente- 
cost. His  bold  preaching  in  the  synagogue  led  Aquila  and  Priscilla 
(who  had  crossed  with  Paul  from  Corinth  to  Ephesus)  to  "  expound 
unto  him  the  way  of  God  more  perfectly  ;"  and  he  soon  left  Ephesus 
for  Achaia,  where  he  carried  on  a  great  work  among  the  Jews  (Acts 
xviii.  26-28). 

While  Apollos  was  at  Corinth,  Paul  reached  Ephesus,  and  began 
his  labors  by  teaching  twelve  disciples,  who  had  been  baptized  unto 
John's  baptism,  the  full  doctrine  of  Christ  Jesus  and  his  baptism 
with  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  that  gift  fell  on  them  when  Paul  bap- 
tized them  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  He  then  spent  three  months 
teaching  in  the  synagogue,  and  some  of  the  Jews  believed.  But 
when  others  were  not  only  hardened,  "but  spake  evil  of  that  way 
before  the  multitude,"  he  left  the  synagogue,  as  he  had  done  at 
Corinth,  and  formed  a  separate  congregation  in  the  school  of  one 
Tyrannus  (doubtless  a  professional  teacher  of  rhetoric).  His  daily 
discourses  here  for  two  full  years  (varied  perhaps  by  tours  in  the 
country  districts)  brought  the  Gospel  to  the  knowledge  of  "  all  that 
dwelt  in  Asia,  both  Jews  and  Greeks  "  (Acts  xix.  1-10). 

This  teaching  was  confirmed  by  "special  miracles" — miracles 
of  no  ordinary  nature — "  so  that  from  his  body  were  brought  unto 
the  sick  handkerchiefs  or  aprons,  and  the  diseases  departed  from 
them,  and  the  evil  spirits  went  out  of  them  "  (Acts  xix.  11,  12). 
These  wondrous  modes  of  healing  seemed  to  challenge  a  conflict 
with  the  many  forms  of  magic  and  incantation  which  were  rife  at 
Ephesus ;  and  it  was  to  be  clearly  shown  that  Paul's  miracles  were 
wrought  by  no  such  arts,  but  by  the  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
First,  "certain  of  the  vagabond  Jews,  exorcists,"  tried  to  conjure 
an  evil  spirit  by  the  new  form  of  spell,  "  We  adjure  you  by  Jesus, 
whom  Paul  preacheth;"  and  their  fate  (Acts  xix.  13-16)  caused 
such  fear  of  that  Name  to  fall  both  on  the  Jews  and  Greeks,  that 
many  believed  and  made  a  confession  of  their  impostures,  and 
proved  their  sincerity  by  making  a  public  bonfire  of  their  books  of 
magic,  to  the  value  of  50,000  denarii,  or  nearly  £1800.  "So 
mightily  grew  the  Word  of  God  and  prevailed"  (Acts  xix.  17-20). 

Having  laid  such  a  foundation  of  the  faith  at  Ephesus,  where  he 
nad  spent  two  years  and  a  quarter,  Paul  planned  his  further  move- 
ments, namely,  a  journey  through  Macedonia  and  Achaia,  return- 
ing thence  to  Jerusalem ;  and  he  said,  "After  I  have  been  there,  I 
must  also  see  Rome  "  (Acts  xix.  21).  He  first  sent  Timotheusand 
Era6tus  into  Macedonia  (verse  22),  and  thence  to  meet  him  in 
Achaia  ;  as  is  shown  by  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  which 
»e  sent  soon  after  their  departure  by  the  hands  of  certain  brethren, 


A.D.  54-70.  1ST.  PAUL  AT  EPHESUS.  33'J 

who  had  meanwhile  arrived  from  Corinth  (I  Cor.  xvi.  17,  18),  a.d. 
57,  probably  about  the  Passover  (1  Cor.  v.  6-8).  The  Epistle  was 
called  forth  by  the  news  which  these  brethren  brought  of  the 
schisms  and  heresies,  disorders  and  immoralities,  which  had  dis- 
graced the  mother  Church  of  Greece  ;  and  it  was  probably  to  await 
the  effect  of  his  reproofs  that  Paul  decided  to  "stay  in  Asia  for  a 
season  "  (Acts  xix.  22),  namely,  till  the  Feast  of  Pentecost  (1  Cor. 
xvi.  8,  19).  His  stay  was  probably  a  little  shortened  by  the  great 
tumult,  so  graphically  described  by  St.  Luke,  roused  in  the  name 
of  the  great  goddess  Artemis  (Diana)  by  Demetrius  and  the  crafts- 
men who  gained  their  living  from  her  worship  (Acts  xix.  23-41).: 
After  the  tumult  had  subsided,  Paul  took  leave  of  the  disciples, 
and  departed  for  Macedonia.  'And  when  he  had  gone  over  those 
parts,  and  exhorted  them  in  many  a  discourse,  became  into  Greece, 
and  there" — namely,  at  Corinth — "  he  abode  three  months"  (Nov.  to 
Feb.,  a.d.  57,  58).  The  period  thus  briefly  summed  up  by  Luke 
(Acts  xx.  1-3)  includes  the  writing  of  the  apostle's  Second  Epistle 
to  the  Corinthians  from  Macedonia,  and  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans 
from  Corinth.  The  conclusions  drawn  thence,  and  the  questions 
raised,  as  to  his  movements,  plans,  and  companions,  can  not  be  dis- 
cussed here;  but,  from  Rom.  xv.  19,  it  may  be  inferred  that,  on  his 
journey  from  Macedonia  into  Greece,  he  took  a  wide  circuit  as 
far  as  Illyricum,  which  brought  him  to  the  Adriatic,  the  boundary 
which  was  then  considered  as  dividing  the  East  from  the  West. 
The  strong  desire  which  he  expresses  to  the  Romans  to  pass  that 
boundary,  as  far  as  the  very  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  was  to  be  ful- 
filled (whether  wholly  or  in  part)  as  the  indirect  result  of  his  return 
to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  now  most  anxious  to  arrive  by  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  not  without  a  prophetic  anticipation  of  what  awaited 
him  (Rom.  xv.  23-32;  Acts  xx.  16). 

The  immediate  object  of  this  return  was  to  carry  up  the  contri- 
butions of  the  churches,  deputies  from  which  went  with  him,  so 
careful  was  he  "  to  provide  things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all  men" 
(Acts  xx.  4).     Just  as  he  was  about  to  sail  for   Syria,  his  plans 

1  The  following  coin  gives  some  idea  of  the  wooden  image  of  the  goddes? 
"which  fell  down  from  Jove." 


Greet  Imperial  Coiu  of  Epbesns  find  Smyrna  allied. 


340  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

were  changed  by  the  discovery  of  a  Jewish  plot  to  waylay  him. 
Sending  forward  his  companions  by  sea  to  wait  for  him  at  Troas, 
he  went  by  land  through  Macedonia  to  Philippi,  where  he  seems  to 
have  spent  the  Passover  (March  27,  a.d.  58),  and  whence  his  move- 
ments can  be  dated  to  the  day  (Acts  xx.  3-6).  His  voyage  begins 
at  Philippi,  whence  he  sailed  "  after  the  days  of  unleavened  bread," 
that  is,  on  the  day  following  the  eighth  day  of  the  feast  (Tuesday, 
Ajjril  4th),  and  he  reached  Troas  in  five  days  (Saturday,  April  8th). 
He  had  remained  there  full  seven  days,  when,  on  the  return  of  the 
first  day  of  the  week  (Sunday,  April  16th),  the  disciples  came  to- 
gether to  break  bread,  and  Paul  preached  to  them  till  midnight, 
ready  to  depart  on  the  morrow.  Here  we  have  one  of  the  inci- 
dental notices — more  valuable  than  any  formal  statement,  because 
they  show  how  regularly  the  custom  was  established  — •  of  those 
meetings  of  the  Christians  on  the  Lord's  day  for  social  converse 
and  divine  worship,  which  Pliny  mentions  as  their  only  known  in- 
stitution. Here  occurred  what  we  should  now  call  the  "accident" 
to  a  youth  named  Eutychus,  who,  sitting  in  the  window,  and  over- 
powered with  drowsiness  through  the  heat  of  the  many  lamps,  fell 
down  from  the  third  story  and  was  taken  up  dead.  The  miracle 
by  which  Paul  restored  him  to  life  resembled  in  form  those  per- 
formed by  Elijah  and  Elisha  (1  Kings  xvii.  21  ;  2  Kings  iv.  34). 
Returning  to  the  upper  chamber,  without  waiting  till  the  youth's 
friends  had  the  comfort  of  seeing  his  full  recovery,  Paul  broke 
bread  and  ate  with  the  disciples,  and,  having  talked  with  them  till 
the  break  of  day,  departed  (Acts  xx.  7-12). 

To  gain  time  for  this  protracted  farewell,  Paul  had  sent  his 
companions  before  him  to  the  ship,  and,  while  they  doubled  the 
promontory  of  Lectum,  he  took  the  shorter  route  by  land  to  join 
them  at  Assos,  whence  they  crossed  to  Mitylene  (Monday,  April 
7th).  Avoiding  the  windings  of  the  coast,  they  sailed  from  Lesbos 
V  Chios  on  the  Tuesday,  and  on  the  next  day  to  Samos,  whence 
crossing  over  to  the  main-land,  they  staid  at  the  promontory  of 
Trogyllium,  and  reached  Miletus  on  Thursday,  April  20th.  Here 
they  stopped,  while  Paul  sent  for  the  elders  of  the  Church  of  Eph- 
esus,  as  the  staying  any  time  among  his  converts  in  Asia  would 
have  risked  his  purposed  arrival  at  Jerusalem  by  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost (Acts  xx.  13-16).  The  distance  between  Ephesus  and  Mile- 
tus being  about  forty  miles,  the  interval  from  the  Thursday  to  the 
Sunday  would  give  time  for  the  arrival  of  the  elders,  with  whom 
Paul  held  solemn  converse,  as  on  the  Sunday  before  at  Troas  (Sun- 
day, April  23d).  His  farewell  discourse  to  them  is  one  of  his  rep- 
resentative addresses,  recounting  the  spirit  and  conduct  of  his  min. 
istry  among  them,  warning  them  of  coming  troubles  and  heresies, 


A.D.  54-  70.  VOYAGE  TO  PALESTINE.  341 

and  commending  them  to  the  grace  of  God.  Finally,  "he  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  with  them  all  :  and  they  all  wept  sore,  and  fell 
on  Paul's  neck,  and  kissed  him,  sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the 
words  which  he  spake,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more.  And 
they  accompanied  him  to  the  ship"  (Acts  xx.  17-38). 

Embarking  immediately  on  the  close  of  his  address,  Paul  sailed 
straight  for  the  Island  of  Cos  (Monday,  April  24th),  thence  to 
Rhodes  (Tuesday),  and  thence  to  Patara,  in  Lycia  (Wednesday), 
where,  finding  another  ship  bound  direct  for  Phoenicia,  he  went  on 
board  (Thursday,  April  27th),  and,  sighting  Cyprus  on  the  left 
hand,  arrived  at  Tyre,  where  the  ship  was  to  unload.  The  ordina- 
ry course  of  such  a  voyage  would  briug  the  apostle  to  that  ancient 
city  on  Sunday  (April  30th) ;  and  another  Lord's  day  was  cheered 
by  a  welcome  from  certain  disciples,  of  whose  existence  in  the  city 
he  seems  not  to  have  been  aware.  With  them  he  spent  a  whole 
week,  in  the  course  of  which  the  prophetic  gifts  poured  out  upon 
these  Tyrian  Christians  were  used  to  warn  Paul  against  going  on 
to  Jerusalem  (Acts  xxi.  1-6). 

Supposing  that,  as  at  Troas  and  Miletus,  Paul  spent  the  Lord's 
day  with  the  Tyrian  Christians,  his  voyage  to  Ptolemais  (Acre) 
would  occupy  the  Monday,  and  his  one  day's  stay  there  with  the 
brethren,  the  Tuesday  (May  9).  On  the  following  day  Paul  and 
his  company  proceeded,  apparently  by  land,  to  Cajsarea,  and  took 
up  their  abode  with  "Philip  the  Evangelist,  one  of  the  Seven," 
whose  four  virgin  daughters  prophesied,  probably  repeating  the 
warnings  which  were  now  most  plainly  uttered  by  Agabus,  whom 
we  have  already  seen  predicting  the  famine  in  the  reign  of  Claudi- 
us. This  prophet  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet  with  Paul's  girdle, 
declaring,  in  the  name  of  the  Spirit,  that  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem 
would  even  thus  bind  the  owner  of  that  girdle,  and  deliver  him  into 
the  hands  of  the  Gentiles.  To  the  entreaties  of  the  brethren  at 
Caesarea  and  of  his  own  companions,  Paul  answered,  "  What  mean 
ye  to  weep  and  to  break  mine  heart?  For  I  am  ready,  not  to  be 
bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  So,  after  a  stay  of  several  days  at  Cassarea,  they  packed 
up  their  little  baggage,  and  went  up,  doubtless  on  foot,  to  Jerusa- 
lem, accompanied  by  an  aged  disciple  of  Cyprus,  named  Mnason, 
who  had  offered  them  a  lodging  in  the  crowded  city  (Acts  xxi.  7- 
16). 

This  fifth  visit  of  St.  Paul  to  Jerusalem  since  his  conversion  Is 
the  last  of  which  we  have  any  certain  record.  He  was  welcomed 
with  joy  by  the  brethren,  and  on  the  following  day  (Thursday, 
May  18th)  he  had  an  interview  with  James  and  all  the  elders  of 
the  Church,  to  whom  "  ho  declared  particularly  what  things  God 


S42  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX 

had  wrought  among  the  Gentiles  by  his  ministry."  While  glorify, 
ing  God  for  this  work,  they  do  not  conceal  from  Paul  that  the  cal- 
umnies against  him  had  gained  belief  among  the  Jewish  Chris- 
tians, namely,  that  "he  taught  all  the  Jews  among  the  Gentiles  to 
forsake  Moses,  saying  that  they  ought  not  to  circumcise  their  chil- 
dren, neither  to  walk  after  the  customs."  To  refute  this  charge 
there  was  a  practical  opportunity.  Four  men  connected  with  the 
Church  had  bound  themselves  by  a  temporary  Nazarite  vow,  and 
their  purification  upon  the  completion  of  the  vow  was  at  hand. 
This  ceremony  involved  a  considerable  expense  for  the  offerings  to 
be  presented  in  the  temple  (Numb.  vi.  13-21) ;  and  it  was  a  mer- 
itorious act  to  provide  these  offerings  for  the  poor  Nazarites.  St. 
Paul  was  requested  to  put  himself  under  the  vow  with  the  other 
four,  and  to  supply  the  cost  of  the  offerings.  He  at  once  accepted 
the  proposal ;  and  on  the  next  day,  having  performed  some  cere- 
mony which  implied  the  adoption  of  the  vow,  he  went  into  the 
temple,  announcing  that  the  due  offerings  of  each  Nazarite  were 
about  to  be  presented,  and  the  period  of  the  vow  terminated,  a  proc- 
ess which  would  occupy  seven  days  (Friday,  May  19). 

The  week  was  almost  accomplished,  when  certain  Jews  from 
Asia,  probably  some  of  Paul's  old  antagonists  at  Ephesus,  recog- 
nized him,  and  raised  a  tumult,  charging  him  with  bringing  Greeks 
into  the  temple.  Paul  was  with  difficulty  rescued  by  the  tribune 
in  command  of  the  Roman  cohort  stationed  in  the  fort  Antonia, 
whose  name  was  Claudius  Lysias.  This  officer  at  first  took  Paul 
for  an  Egyptian  impostor,  who  had  lately  pretended  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah, and  whose  band  had  been  dispersed  by  Felix.  But,  surprised 
to  hear  him  speak  good  Greek,  and  learning  from  Paul  that  he  was 
a  Jew  of  Tarsus,  Lysias  granted  his  request  to  address  the  people. 
Paul,  from  the  stairs  leading  up  to  the  fort,  spoke  in  Hebrew  to  the 
excited  throng  below,  who  kept  silence  when  they  heard  him  use 
their  language  (Acts  xxi.  18-xxii.  2). 

The  address  which  follows  is  one  of  the  two  great  defenses,  or — 
to  use  the  Greek  term — "Apologies,"  in  which  St.  Paul  argues  the 
truth  of  his  mission  from  the  manner  of  his  conversion  and  from  the 
revelations  that  had  been  given  to  him  :  the  other  was  addressed  to 
King  Agrippa.  On  this  occasion,  the  care  with  which  he  led  the 
discourse  up  to  his  mission  to  the  Gentiles  did  not  prevent  those 
words  renewing  the  full  fury  of  the  mob.  Lysias  had  him  carried 
into  the  fort,  and  was  about  to  extort  from  him,  by  scourging,  a 
confession  of  the  grounds  of  all  this  rage  of  the  Jews ;  but  he  was 
alarmed  at  Paul's  assertion  of  his  Roman  citizenship;  and  he  sum- 
moned the  Sanhedrim  to  inquire  into  the  case  (Acts  xxii.).  The 
trial  that  ensued  was  a  mere  tumult,  first  from  the  violence  of  the 


A.D.  54-70.  ARREST  OF  ST.  PAUL.  343 

high-priest  Ananias  towards  Paul,  and  then  from  the  dissension  Be- 
tween the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  in  the  council,  when  Paul  cried 
out  amidst  the  noise,  "I  am  a  Pharisee,  the  son  of  a  Pharisee:  of 
the  hope  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  I  am  called  in  question." 
That,  as  he  afterwards  argued  before  Agrippa,  was  the  one  real 
charge  against  him;  for  it  was  still  the  Sadducees,  rather  than  the 
Pharisees,  that  led  the  persecution.  The  scribes  of  the  latter  party 
plainly  said,  "We  find  no  fault  in  this  man,"  and  repeated  Gama- 
liel's warning,  "Let  us  not  fight  against  God"  (Acts  xxiii  1-10). 
So  wild  was  the  dissension,  that  Lysias  had  to  send  down  the  sol- 
diers to  carry  off  the  prisoner,  before  he  was  torn  in  pieces  by  his 
judges!  (Acts  xxiii.  1-10). 

In  the  following  night,  Paul  was  comforted  by  another  vision  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  assuring  him  that  these  dangers  were  leading  to 
the  end  he  had  himself  desired  :  "As  thou  hast  testified  of  me  in 
Jerusalem,  so  must  thou  bear  witness  also  at  Rome."  The  first  di- 
rect step  to  this  was  taken  on  the  discovery  of  the  plot  of  forty  zeal- 
ots, who  had  bound  themselves  under  a  curse  neither  to  eat  nor 
drink  till  they  had  killed  Paul  (see  Acts  xxiii.  11-22).  So  Lysias 
sent  off  Paul  the  following  night  under  a  strong  escort  to  Cassarea, 
with  a  letter  stating  his  case,  both  as  a  Roman  citizen  and  as  a  Jew 
"  accused  of  questions  of  their  law,"  to  the  procurator  Felix,  who 
postponed  the  hearing  till  the  accusers  should  arrive.  Paul  was 
meanwhile  kept  a  prisoner  in  the  government-house,  which  had  heen 
the  palace  (Pratorium)  of  Herod  the  Great  (Acts  xxiii.  23-35). 
Five  days  after  Paul's  arrival  at  Cresarea,  and  just  twelve  since  he 
had  reached  Jerusalem  (Acts  xxiv.  1,11;  probably  Tuesday,  May 
30th),  Ananias  and  the  elders  came  down  to  Ccesarea  with  a  cer- 
tain orator  named  Tertullus.  We  have  not  space — and  indeed  wo 
hardly  need — to  draw  the  contrast  between  the  fulsome  harangua 
of  the  hired  advocate  and  the  simple  candor  of  Paul's  answer,  point- 
ing out  the  absence  of  his  real  accusers,  and  declaring  that  no  chargo 
could  be  brought  against  him,  except  his  belief  in  the  resurrection 
(Acts  xxiv.  1-21). 

Felix  saw  the  truth  of  Paul's  case  the  more  clearly,  as  he  had  ac- 
quired a  pretty  exact  knowledge  of  Christianity,  which  had  gained 
its  first  Gentile  converts  among  the  troops  stationed  at  Csesarea. 
Unwilling,  however,  to  offend  the  Jews  by  at  once  setting  the  apos. 
tie  free,  he  made  an  excuse  for  postponing  the  hearing  till  the  ar- 
rival of  the  tribune  Lysias,  and  committed  Paul  to  the  custody  of  a 
centurion,  with  orders  to  grant  him  every  indulgence  and  the  socie- 
ty of  his  friends.  It  seems  to  have  been  to  gratify  the  curiosity  of 
his  Jewish  wife,  Drusilla,  the  daughter  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  that, 
OH  his  return  to  Ca3sarea  after  an  absence,  Felix  again  sent  for  Paul. 


344  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

to  hear  him  concerning  the  faith  in  Christ.  But  the  apostle  used 
the  opportunity  to  reprove  the  vices  of  both ;  and  "  as  he  reasoned 
of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  judgment  to  come,  Felix  trem- 
bled, and  answered,  Go  thy  way  for  this  time ;  when  I  have  a  con- 
venient season,  I  will  call  for  thee."  It  is  often  said  that  the  con- 
venient season  never  came ;  but  the  truth  was  worse  than  this. 
Felix  often  sent  for  Paul,  and  communed  with  him  during  the  two 
years  of  his  detention,  but  no  longer  with  any  higher  object  than 
the  sordid  hope  of  being  bribed  to  free  him.  Meanwhile  the  apos- 
tle was  detained  in  honorable  custody.  Felix  "commanded  a  cen- 
turion to  keep  Paul,  and  to  let  him  have  liberty,  and  that  he  should 
forbid  none  of  his  acquaintance  to  minister  or  to  come  unto  him." 
St.  Luke  appears  to  have  remaiued  with  him  ;  and  some  refer  the 
composition  of  his  Gospel  to  this  period.  The  apostle's  "care  of 
all  the  churches"  was  probably  as  constant  as  ever;  but  the  two 
years  of  seclusion  from  active  work  must  have  helped  to  prepare 
him  for  the  testimony  he  had  to  bear  before  Caesar  at  Rome  (Acts 
xxiv.  24-26). 

In  the  following  year,  the  city  of  Ccesarea,  where  Paul  was  thus 
kept  a  prisoner,  was  the  scene  of  one  of  the  frequent  and  frightful 
tumults  between  the  Jews  and  the  Syrian  Greeks.  The  conduct  of 
Felix,  in  either  ordering  or  conniving  at  a  massacre  of  the  Jews, 
was  denounced  to  the  Emperor  Nero,  and  he  was  recalled  to  answer 
for  his  conduct  at  the  same  time  that  Domitins  Corbulo  succeeded 
Uminidins  Quadratus  as  prefect  of  Syria.  This  was  two  full  years 
after  the  beginning  of  St.  Paul's  imprisonment  in  May,  a.d.  58,  and 
Porcios  Festus,  the  new  procurator  of  Judsea,  would  reach  his 
province  about  July,  a.d.  GO.  This  is  one  of  the  best  ascertained 
dates  in  the  history  of  St.  Paul. 

The  new  governor  was  an  honest  man,  and  he  proved  his  dili- 
gence by  going  up  from  Cassarea  to  Jerusalem  three  days  after  his 
arrival.  There  the  chief  priests  and  elders  demanded  judgment 
against  Paul,  and  specially  requested  that  he  might  be  brought  up 
to  Jerusalem  ;  for  they  intended  to  waylay  and  kill  him  (Acts  xxv 
1-3,  15).  But  Festus  was  firm  to  the  fairness  of  the  Roman  law, 
and  ordered  the  accusers  to  come  to  Caesarea  (Acts  xxv.  5,  16). 
from  the  desire,  however,  to  gratify  the  Jews,  he  asked  Paul  wheth- 
er he  chose  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  be  judged.  The  apostle  at 
once  frustrated  the  plot  of  the  Jews,  and  secured  his  being  sent  to 
Rome,  by  uttering  the  words,  which  were  the  last  safeguard  of  the 
Roman  citizen,  "i"  appeal  unto  Cms  ar  ;"  and  Festus  replied,  "Unto 
CsBsar  shalt  thou  go"  (Acts  xxv.  6-12,  17-21). 

It  now  only  remained  to  send  the  prisoner  to  Rome.  While 
waiting  for  an  opportunity,  Festus  had  to  draw  up  an  account  of 


A.D.  54-70.  HEROD  AGRIPPA  II.  345 

the  charge  on  which  Paul  was  sent  for  trial;  and  it  wa>  no  easy 
matter  to  place  a  mere  question  of  Jewish  "superstition"  before 
Nero  in  a  satisfactory  form.  He  was  in  this  difficulty,  when 
Agrippa  and  his  sister  Berenice  arrived  at  Caesarea  to  congratulate 
the  new  governor.  Several  days  were  spent  in  ceremony  and 
festivity  before  Festus  mentioned  the  case  of  Paul  to  Agrippa,  who, 
being  informed  by  the  governor  of  all  that  had  passed,  expressed  a 
desire  to  hear  the  man.  On  the  following  day  Agrippa  and  Bere- 
nice took  their  seats  on  the  tribunal  beside  Festus ;  but  the  famous 
"  Defense  of  Paul  before  Agrippa"  (Acts  xxvi.)  will  be  better  un- 
derstood by  some  reference  to  the  king's  history. 

Hekod  Agrippa  II.,  the  son  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  was  at  Rome 
when  his  father  died.  He  was  only  seventeen  years  old,  and  Clau- 
dius made  his  youth  a  reason  for  not  giving  him  his  father's  king- 
dom, as  he  had  intended.  The  emperor  afterwards  gave  him  the 
kingdom  of  Chalcis  (a.d.  50),  which  was  vacant  by  the  death  of  his 
uncle  Herod  (a.d.  48)  ;  and  this  was  soon  exchanged  for  the  tetrar- 
chies  of  Iturrea  and  Abilene,  to  which  Nero  added  certain  cities  of 
the  Decapolis  about  the  Lake  of  Galilee  (a.d.  52).  But  beyond 
the  limits  of  his  own  dominions,  Agrippa  was  permitted  to  exercise 
throughout  Judasa  that  influence  which  even  Paul  recognized  as 
welcome  to  a  Jew,  who  saw  in  him  the  last  scion  of  the  Asiuonosan 
house.  In  particular,  he  succeeded  to  those  ecclesiastical  functions 
which  the  tolerant  policy  of  Rome  had  permitted  his  uncle  Herod 
to  exercise — the  government  of  the  temple  and  the  nomination  of 
the  high-priest.  He  was  "expert  in  all  customs  and  questions 
which  are  among  the  Jews."  He  gratified  his  hereditary  taste  for 
magnificence  by  adorning  Jerusalem  and  Berytus  with  costly  build- 
ings ;  but  in  such  a  manner  as  mortally  to  offend  the  Jews ;  and 
his  leading  principle  was  to  preserve  fidelity  to  Rome,  and  he  took 
her  part  in  the  last  great  rebellion  of  Judaea.  With  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  (a.d.  70)  an  end  was  put  to  this  last  Jewish  principali- 
ty. Retaining,  however,  his  empty  title  as  king,  Agrippa  survived 
the  fate  of  his  country  in  the  enjoyment  of  splendid  luxury,  retired 
to  Rome  with  Berenice,  and  died  there  in  the  third  year  of  Trajan 
(a.d.  100).  Such  was  the  prince  whose  real  witness  to  the  force  of 
Paul's  pleadings  from  the  history  of  his  conversion  and  from  the 
Jewish  prophets  was  given  in  the  memorable  confession,  "Almost 
thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian."  Of  the  charges  made 
against  Paul  by  the  Jews,  Agrippa,  as  a  Jewish  prince,  agreed  with 
the  governor  in  declaring  him  innocent,  and  in  saying  that  he 
might  have  been  set  at  liberty  at  once  but  for  his  appeal  to  Caesar 
(Acts  xxvi.).  But  that  appeal  had  been  dictated  by  the  Spirit, 
which  had  guided  the  apostle's  whole  course,  and  "  to  Caesar  he 


346  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

went  "  under  that  divine  care,  the  object  of  which  was  again  reveal- 
ed to  him  in  the  most  dangerous  crisis  of  the  voyage,  "Fear  not, 
Paul,  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar"  (Acts  xxvii.  24). 

We  would  even  venture  to  stake  the  doctrine  of  a  special  Provi- 
dence on  the  events,  and  the  fidelity  of  the  sacred  historian  on  his 
narrative,  of  the  Voyage  of  Paul  from  desarea  to  Italy.  Every 
detail  has  been  subjected  to  the  keenest  criticism  of  nautical  skill, 
as  well  as  of  scholarship,  with  the  result  of  confirming  its  truth  all 
the  more  for  the  very  errors  detected  in  our  version,  and  proving 
that  the  story  must  have  been  written  by  an  eye-witness,  both  hon. 
est  and  intelligent,  not  himself  a  professional  seaman,  but  sufficient- 
ly acquainted  with  nautical  matters  to  record  in  plain  words  what 
he  saw  and  heard ;  just  such  an  observer  as  St.  Luke.  The  nu- 
merous details  thus  brought  out  must  be  reserved  for  future  study; 
only  the  outline  can  be  traced  here.  It  must  be  observed  that  the 
voyage  consists  of  three  parts,  in  three  different  ships ;  and  its 
great  incidents,  ending  with  the  shipwreck  at  Malta,  belong  to  the 
middle  part. 

It  was  towards  the  end  of  the  summer  of  a.d.  60  that  Paul2  and 
a  large  number  of  other  prisoners,  under  the  charge  of  a  centurion 
named  Julius,  were  put  on  board  a  coasting  vessel  belonging  to 
Adramyttium,  in  order  to  reach  Italy  before  the  winter.  Launch- 
ing  from  Cassarea,  they  touched  next  day  at  Sidon,  where  the 
courtesy  of  Julius  gave  Paul  leave  to  visit  his  friends.  Amidst 
delays  from  contrary  winds,  they  reached  Myra,  in  Lycia,  where 
they  found  a  corn-ship  of  Alexandria  bound  for  Italy  ;  and  to  this 
vessel  Julius  transferred  his  prisoners.  The  voyage  was  slow  to 
Cnidus,  at  the  south-west  angle  of  Asia  Minor ;  and  thence  the 
contrary  winds  forced  them  to  run  down  southward  under  the  leo 
of  Crete,  to  the  fine  harbor  on  its  south  coast,  which  still  bears  the 
name  of  Fair  Havens.  Here,  from  the  form  of  the  coast,  they  were 
completely  wind-bound ;  and  it  was  past  the  time  of  the  Great 
East  (the  Day  of  Atonement ;  Acts  xxvii.  9),  which  fell  this  year 
exactly  at  the  Equinox  (Sept.  23d),  the  limit  fixed  by  ancient 
writers  to  sea-voyages.  Heedless,  however,  of  Paul's  warning,  the 
mariners  seized  the  chance  of  a  fair  south  wind,  in  the  hope  of 
reaching  a  better  anchorage  at  port  Phoenix  (thirty-five  miles 
west)  ;  and  they  had  safely  doubled  C.  Matala,  when  the  typhoon- 
like wind  well  known  in  those  seas  by  the  name  of  the  North-easter* 

s  The  "  we  "  of  Acts  xxvii.  1,  etc.,  proves  that  Paul  was  accompanied  by 
St.  Luke. 

*  "Avefior  ti;0(dwk6?  (VentUS  T]iphonicu&)  6  KaXoiViecof  EvponXuduyv  (Eurocly- 
don).  This  name  is  not  from  e»pt>r,  "  broad,"  and  k\vHu>v,  "  billow,"  but  the 
Greek  form  of  the  Latin  Euroaquilo  (as  iu  the  Vulgate). 


A.D.  54-70.        THE  VOYAGE  OF  ST.  PAUL. 


347 


came  sweeping  down  from  the  gullies  of  Mount  Ida,  and  caught 
the  ship  with  such  fury  that  she  could  only  scud  before  the  wind. 
The  shelter  of  a  little  island,  Clauda,  enabled  the  sailors  to  get  the 
boat  on  board,  and  to  undergird  the  ship,  that  is,  to  pass  chains  or 
cables  round  the  hull,  so  that  she  might  hold  together  longer  if  she 
should  fall  on  the  quicksands  of  the  Great  Syrtis.  To  avoid  this 
danger,  they  lowered  the  great  square  sail,  with  its  heavy  yard  and 
"  top-hamper,"  and  drifted  with  the  head  kept  up  by  a  storm-sail 


Ancient  ship. 

on  the  starboard  tack,  which  brought  them  direct  on  Malta,  where 
the  very  spot  of  the  shipwreck  still  preserves  the  name  of  St.  Paul's 
Bay.  The  interesting  details  which  preceded  and  accompanied 
the  wreck  must  be  read  in  Acts  xxvii.  and  xxviii.  1-6. 

This  "accidental"  detention  of  three  months  gave  St.  Paul  the 
opportunity  of  working  many  miracles,  and  gaining  attached  con- 
verts among  the  semi-barbarous  Maltese — a  population  originally 
Phoenician,  and  much  mixed  with  pirates — besides  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor, or  Primus,  Publius  (Acts  xxviii.  7).4  When  navigation  re- 
opened (about  the  beginning  of  February,  a.d.  61),  Julius  placed 
his  prisoners  on  board  of  another  Alexandrian  ship,  the  "  Castor 
and  Pollux,"6  which  had  wintered  in  the  island.  They  sailed  first 
to   Syracuse,  where  they  staid  three  days  ;  and,  passing  through 

1  This  very  title  of  "  First  Man  "  (Acts  xxviii.  7)  is  found  on  inscriptions, 
npwTor  MeXiTaiW— one  of  the  many  examples  of  St.  Luke's  minute  accuracy 
ia  Roman  matters. 

*  The  twin  Dioscuri  were  the  tutelar  deities  of  sailors.  They  were  proba- 
bly painted  (as  was  the  Alexandrian  custom)  on  each  side  of  the  poop :  comp. 
Hor.  Carm.  i.  14, 14 : 

"  Nil  pictit  timidus  navita  puppibu* 
Fidit." 


348  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX, 

the  straits  and  touching  at  Rhegium,  they  landed  at  Puteoli, 
which  then  gave  name  to  the  Bay  of  Naples  (Sinus  Puteolanus), 
and  was  a  great  port  for  the  corn  trade  of  Rome.  As  might  have 
been  expected  at  a  port  in  such  constant  communication  with  the 
East,  they  found  here  Christian  brethren,  at  whose  desire  Paul 
spent  a  week  with  them,  the  centurion  being  evidently  eager  to 
show  him  unbounded  courtesy— "And  so  went  on  to  Rome."  The 
stay  at  Puteoli  had  given  time  for  the  news  of  his  arrival  to  reach 
Rome ;  and  the  Christians  of  that  city  sent  to  meet  him  as  far  as 
the  stations  of  Appii  Forum  and  the  Three  Taverns,  on  the  Appian 
Road.  The  prefect  of  the  praetorian  guard  (at  that  time  the  fa- 
mous Burrus)  to  whom  the  prisoners  were  delivered  (Acts  xxviii. 
16)  is  likely  to  have  received  such  a  report  from  Julius  as  procured 
special  favor  for  St.  Paul.  Though  still,  like  state  prisoners  even 
of  the  highest  rank  (as  in  the  case  of  Agrippa  under  Tiberius),  hav- 
ing one  arm  bound  to  the  soldier  who  kept  him  night  and  day, 
with  that  chain  to  which  he  makes  touching  allusions,6  he  was 
suffered  to  dwell  by  himself  in  his  own  hired  house,  of  course  with- 
in the  precincts  of  the  Prcetorian  Camp,1  and — what  he  valued  far 
more — to  receive  visitors  and  discourse  freely  with  them  of  the 
Gospel  (Acts  xxviii.  11-16,  30,  31). 

Beginning  here  also  with  his  own  nation,  the  apostle,  three  days 
after  his  arrival,  invited  the  chief  men  among  the  Jews  to  come  to 
him,  and,  addressing  them  as  brethren,  he  freely  explained  to  them 
his  present  position.  Though  innocent  of  any  crime  against  the 
Jewish  law  or  customs,  he  had  been  given  at  Jerusalem  into  the 
hands  of  the  Romans ;  and,  when  they  were  ready  to  acquit  him, 
the  opposition  of  the  Jews  had  constrained  him  to  appeal  to  Caesar. 
He  was  now  at  Rome,  not  to  accuse  his  nation,  but  a  prisoner  to 
answer  for  his  faith  in  "the  hope  of  Israel."  They  replied  that 
they  had  received  no  letters  from  Judaea  about  him,  nor  had  any 
of  the  brethren  coming  thence  spoken  any  harm  of  him ;  and  they 
expressed  their  desire  to  hear  his  own  views,  adding,  however,  "as 
for  this  sect  (or  heresy}  we  know  that  it  is  everywhere  spoken 
against" — a  phrase  which  seems  to  betray  the  germs  of  that  ill-will 
vhich  so  soon  broke  out,  but  which  may  have  been  at  first  suppress- 
ed by  their  own  curiosity  as  well  as  by  St.  Paul's  courteous  bearing. 
They  named  a  day  to  give  him  a  full  hearing,  and  came  in  large 
numbers  to  his  lodging  (Acts  xxviii.  17-22). 

•  Arts  xxviii.  20  ;  Eph.  iii.  1 ;  iv.  1 ;  vi.  20  ;  Philem.  10, 13 :  and  so  in  his  sec- 
ond imprisonment  (2  Tim.  i.  16 ;  ii. <>).    This  was  called  the  custodia  militaris. 

1  Acts  xxviii.  30.  This  explains  Phil.  i.  13 :  "  My  bonds  in  Christ  are 
manifest  in  the  whole  Prcetorium  (not  palace,  as  in  the  authorized  version^ 
and  in  all  other  places." 


A.D.  54-70.  ST.  PAUL  AT  ROME.  349 

At  this  second  interview  Paul  spent  the  day,  from  morning  to 
evening,  in  "testifying  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  persuading  them 
concerning  Jesus,  both  out  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  out  of  the 
prophets."  Some  believed,  and  others  believed  not,  and  these  were 
clearly  the  most.  They  went  away  disputing  with  one  another, 
after  Paul  had  uttered  the  words  of  Isaiah  which  Christ  himself 
had  applied  to  the  unbelieving  nation  (Isa.  vi.  9),  and  repeated  the 
announcement  he  had  so  often  made  before:  "Be  it  known,  there- 
fore, unto  you  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent  unto  the  Gentiles, 
and  that  they  will  hear  it."  The  Jews  departed,  and  "had  much 
reasoning  among  the?nse!ves" — words  which  show  that  this  last  of 
the  proclamations  of  Christianity  to  them  recorded  in  the  New 
Testament  was  not  altogether  in  vain.  And  here  we  seem  to  see 
the  reason  why  the  "Acts  of  the  Apostles"  ends  with  such  appar- 
ent abruptness.  As  the  narrative  which  illustrates  the  command 
of  Jesus  to  his  apostles,  to  "preach  the  Gospel  to  the  whole  world, 
beginning  at  Jerusalem,"  it  commences  with  the  opening  of  that 
commission  at  the  religious  centre  of  the  world;  it  traces  the  suc- 
cessive offers  to  the  Jews  of  Judaea,  Samaria,  and  the  dispersion, 
to  proselytes  and  Hellenists,  in  all  the  provinces  that  they  fre- 
quented ;  and  it  shows  how  their  general  disbelief  caused  the  Gen- 
tiles to  be  received,  step  by  step,  into  their  place  of  privilege  ;  till 
the  apostle,  bringing  back  the  offerings  of  those  Gentile  converts  to 
bless  his  countrymen  at  Jerusalem,  was  finally  rejected  by  them, 
and  sent  in  chains  to  Rome.  There,  in  the  capital  of  the  world, 
the  unbelief  of  the  last  section  of  the  Jewish  family  to  whom  he 
revealed  their  Messiah,  completed  the  first  stage  in  the  history  of 
the  diffusion  of  Christianity,  at  which  the  mass  of  the  Jewish  race 
are,  for  the  time,  cut  oft"  from  the  kingdom  of  God.  Their  re- 
jection, for  the  time,  was  completed,  as  our  Lord  had  predicted,  by 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  in  a.d.  70. 

As  to  the  apostle  himself,  the  concluding  words  of  the  "Acts" 
hint  at  the  issue  of  his  imprisonment,  by  telling  us  that  it  lasted  tioo 
whole  years.  What  followed  may  be  partly  learned  from  his  Epis- 
tles, with  some  uncertain  help  from  ecclesiastical  tradition.  In 
brief,  it  appears  that  at  the  end  of  tl»ese  two  years  his  case  was 
heard  by  Nero,  who  acquitted  him  (a.d.  G3)  ;  that  he  then  spent  a 
period,  which  some  reckon  at  five  years,  others  at  two  or  three,  in 
journeys  of  uncertain  extent,  but  which  brought  him  again  tc 
Ephesus.  Here  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  again  arrested  and 
carried  to  Rome ;  but,  at  all  events,  it  is  certain  that  he  was  im- 
prisoned there  a  second  time,  condemned  by  Nero,  and  put  to 
death,  in  the  great  persecution  of  the  Christians  by  that  emperor. 
According  to  the  uniform  tradition,  the  apostle  was  beheaded,  with- 


350  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

out  scourging  (as  the  privilege  of  his  citizenship),  outside  the  gate 
leading  to  the  port  of  Ostia.  The  date  of  his  death  appears  to 
have  been  about  midsummer  a.d.  66  or  67.  Tradition  fixes  it  to 
June  29th,  the  ancient  joint  feast  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul.8 

The  light  thrown  by  Scripture  upon  this  period  is  to  be  sought 
in  the  later  Epistles  of  St.  Paul.  Those  to  the  Ephesians,  to 
Philemon,  to  the  Colossians,  and  to  the  Philippians  belong  to  his 
First  Imprisonment — the  first  three  being  written  about  the  same 
time  and  sent  to  Asia  by  the  same  messengers  (about  the  autumn  of 
a.d.  62) ;  and  the  last  somewhat  later  (in  the  spring  of  a.d.  63),  when 
the  apostle  was  looking  for  a  speedy  issue  of  his  cause.  The  Epis- 
tle to  the  Hebrews,  though  its  date  and  even  its  authorship  are  dis- 
puted, was  probably  written  when  his  liberation  was  pretty  certain, 
or  even,  as  some  think,  actually  accomplished.  It  contemplates  a 
speedy  visit  to  the  Churches  of  Juda;a,  which  were  about  this  time 
subjected  to  the  persecution,  to  which  the  writer  clearly  alludes,  and 
in  which  the  Apostle  St.  James  the  Just  and  other  leaders  of  the 
Church  were  put  to  death  by  the  high-priest  Annas,  in  the  absence 
of  the  procurator  Albinus  (a.d.  62). 9  We  must  not  here  discuss 
the  questions  involved  in  the  first  two  (in  order  of  time)  of  the  three 
Pastoral  Ejristles  (1  Timothy  and  Titus),  which  imply  visits  to 
Crete  and  Ejihesus  in  the  interval  between  Paul's  first  and  second 
imprisonments,  and  a  severe  conflict  with  those  new  forms  of  East- 
ern heresy  which  are  reproved  by  St.  John  in  the  Apocalypse.  Fi- 
nally, the  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy  clearly  shows  the  apostle  once 
more  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  with  a  certain  and  immediate  prospect  of 
martyrdom.  And  now  his  work  is  done  ;  the  last  tie  of  service 
that  bound  him  to  the  world  is  severed  ;  the  goal  to  which  he  had 
pressed  forward  is  within  his  reach  :  "/  am  now  ready  to  be  offered, 
and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight, 
I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  For  the  rest, 
there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord, 
the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  :  and  not  to  me  only, 
but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing"  (2  Tim.  iv.  6-8). 
The  last  words  put  the  finishing-stroke  to  the  apostle's  course  :  he 
ends,  as  he  began,  "a  pattern  for  them  that  should  hereafter  believe 
on  Christ."  We  may  well  be  content,  though  our  curiosity  about 
the  precise  time  and  manner  of  his  departure  remain  unsatisfied, 
when  we  have  this  last  view  of  him  in  his  own  writings  :  "The  Lord 
shall  deliver  me  from  every  evil  work,  and  will  preserve  me  unto  his 
heavenly  kingdom :  to  whom  be  glory  forever  and  ever.  Amen  " 
(2  Tim.  iv.  18). 

8  St.  Paul's  share  in  this  feast  has  been  transferred  to  the  day  kept  in 
celebration  of  his  conversion,  namely,  Jan.  25th. 
»  Their  martvrdora  is  thought  to  be  referred  to  in  Heb.  siii.  7. 


A.D.  54-70.        MARTYRDOM  OF  ST.  PAUL.  351 

Whether  tradition  be  right  or  not  in  associating  the  martyrdom 
of  St.  Petkr  with  that  of  St.  Paul,  the  relations  between  these  two 
chief  apostles  naturally  lead  us  to  inquire  what  is  known  of  tho 
later  history  of  Peter.  The  consecutive  story  of  his  part  in  the 
foundation  of  the  Church  ceases  with  his  miraculous  deliverance 
from  prison,  after  which  he  left  Jerusalem  (Acts  xii.  17).  We  are 
not  told  whither  he  went ;  certainly  not  to  Rome.  His  last  appear- 
ance in  the  "Acts  of  the  Apostles"  is  at  the  "Council  of  Jerusa- 
lem," where  we  find  him  giving  his  opinion  without  exercising  any 
"  primacy,"  or  even  acting  as  president  (Acts  xv.).  It  was  prob- 
ably about  this  time,  as  we  have  seen,  that  Peter,  with  James  and 
John,  came  to  the  cordial  agreement  with  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
that  these  latter  should  go  to  the  Gentiles,  and  they  to  the  circum- 
cision (Gal.  ii.  9).10  The  reproof  of  Peter  by  Paul  for  Judaizing  at 
Antioch  probably  occurred  soon  after  (Gal.  ii.  11).  That  it  had  no 
evil  effect  on  the  union  of  the  two  apostles  is  proved  by  that  striking 
passage,  in  which  Peter  speaks  of  the  Epistles  of  "our  beloved 
brother  Paul,"  which  also  bears  the  most  decisive  of  testimonies  to 
those  Epistles  as  being  a  part  of  the  Scriptures.  From  the  address 
of  Peter's  First  Epistle  we  gather  that  he  labored  among  the  Jews 
of  the  "Dispersion"  in  the  north  and  west  of  Asia  Minor  (1  Pet. 
i.  1);  not,  however,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  Gentiles  (1  Pet.  i.  14- 
81;  ii.  9,  10);  and  the  salutation  fixes  the  apostle's  abode  at  this 
time  at  Babylon  (1  Pet.  v.  13).  From  it  we  also  learn  that  he  was 
assisted  by  Mark,  and  by  Silvanus,  the  former  companion  of  St. 
Paul.  The  whole  tone  of  the  Epistle  is  that  of  a  man  advanced  in 
life,  and  approaching  the  end  of  his  course.  Scripture  tells  us 
nothing  more  of  Peter,  save  the  Lord's  prophecy  of  his  martyrdom, 
which  has  always  been  understood  to  imply  crucifixion  (John  xxi. 
18,  19);  and  there  is  a  well-attested  tradition  that  he  sutfered  that 
death  at  Rome  in  the  Neronian  persecution,  about  the  same  time 
that  Paul  was  beheaded  (from  a.d.  65  to  68).  The  beautiful  fancy 
which  makes  them  fellow-prisoners  seems  to  be  excluded  by  the  ab- 
sence of  any  allusion  to  Peter  in  Paul's  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy. 
Peter  was  not  the  only  apostle  to  whose  future  course  our  Lord 
alluded.  The  prophecy  of  his  own  end  excited  that  curiosity  re- 
specting the  fate  of  John  which  Christ  rebuked  with  a  saying 
which  was  misunderstood  at  the  time,  and  was  afterwards  made  the 
foundation  of  wild  legends.  But  as  John  himself  warns  us,  "Jesus 
said  not  unto  him,  He  shall  not  die,  but  if  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  1 
come,  what  is  that  to  thee?"  (John  xxi.  23).     The  sound  of  these 

10  Cejihas,  which  occurs  also  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  and  the  First 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthiaus,  is  the  Chaldee  form  of  the  apostle's  name,  and 
has  the  same  signification  as  the  Greek  ru-rpoc,  a  stune. 


352  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY.  Chap.  XXX. 

words  would  cheat  the  sense,  if  they  were  not  meant  to  promise  a 
very  long  life  ;  but  beyond  this  they  contain  the  positive  prediction 
that  John  alone  of  all  the  apostles  would  survive  the  Destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  We  have  found  him,  in  the  opening  scenes  of  the 
"Acts,"  specially  associated  with  Peter,  and  he  last  appears  as 
joining  to  confer  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  those  very  Samari- 
tans upon  whom  he  had  once  wished  to  call  down  another  sort  of 
fire  from  heaven  (Acts  iii.,  iv.,  viii. ;  comp.  Luke  ix.  51-56). 
Though  he  did  not  speak  in  the  "Council  of  Jerusalem,"  Paul 
names  him,  with  Peter  and  James,  as  the  "pillars"  of  the  Church, 
who  shared  in  the  more  private  conferences  and  in  the  agreement 
about  their  work  among  the  Gentiles  and  the  Jews  (Gal.  ii.  9). 
We  next  hear  of  John  in  that  close  connection  with  Asia  Minor 
which  is  attested  by  his  great  "Revelation"  addressed,  with  its  in- 
troductory Epistles,  to  the  Seven  Churches  of  the  Province  of  Asia. 
Of  these,  Epiiesus,  which  tradition  makes  his  special  bishopric,  still 
preserves  in  its  ruins  the  name  of  the  "  Holy  Divine."  His  con- 
nection with  that  Church  can  not  have  begun  before  the  date  of 
Paul's  Epistle  to  Timothy  ;  and  his  Epistles  to  the  Seven  Churches 
imply  that  he  was  banished  to  Patmos  at  the  time  of  some  great 
persecution.  The  general  weight  of  testimony  fixes  this  under 
Domitian,  who  reigned  from  81  to  96  a.d.  Among  the  legends 
of  the  apostle's  later  life,  which  are  of  very  various  authority,  is  the 
beautiful  scene  of  his  being  carried  into  the  Church  of  Ephesus  to 
utter,  with  his  failing  strength,  the  memorable  words  of  his  Epistle, 
"Little  children,  love  one  another."  The  time  of  his  death  is  va- 
riously given  ;  but  the  earliest  date  is  considerably  after  the  De- 
struction of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  in  a.d.  70.  Thus  did  he  "tarry 
till  Christ  came"  in  the  judgment  which  lie  had  described  in  that 
great  final  discourse  to  his  disciples,  which  makes  the  fate  of  the 
Jewish  nation  the  type  of  his  last  coming  and  of  the  end  of  the 
world  (Matt.  xxiv.). 

For  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  may  well  be  called  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  Man,  not  only  in  just  judgment  upon  those  who  had 
rejected  him ;  not  only  as  a  sovereign  visits  with  desolation  a  re- 
bellious province  that  has  refused  all  offers  of  mercy ;  but  as  the 
completion  of  the  first,  great  step  in  the  establishment  of  his  king- 
dom upon  earth.  And  since  this  is  the  most  momentous  revolu- 
tionary epoch  in  the  religious  history  of  the  world  that  ever  was  or 
that  ever  shall  be,  it  is  fitly  made,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  discourse, 
the  type  of  the  "coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory,"  to  destroy  all  that  is  earthly  and  cor- 
rupt in  the  Church  and  world,  to  "gather  his  elect  from  the  four 
winds  of  heaven,"  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and  to  establish 
his  everlasting  kingdom. 


APPENDIX. 


A.  TABLES  OF  WEIGHTS. 
TABLE  I. 


Silver  Weights. 

Grains. 

Lbs. 

Oz. 

1 
40 

i 

i 

Correction. 

Gerah 

11 

110 

220 

13,200 

660,000 

2 
100 

+  •OC  gr.  nearly. 
+    -Ogr. 
+  1-T5  gr. 

—  2  oz.  nearly. 

—  6  lb.  nearly. 

10 

Bekf 

20 

2 

1200 

120 

60 

Ma 

60,000 

6000 

3000 

50 

Talent  (Kikkar) 

TABLE  II. 


Gold  Weights. 

Grains. 

Lbs. 

Oz. 

i 

Correction. 

Shekel. 

132 

13,200 

1,320,000 

2 
200 

•3 

+  -T5  gr. 

—  2  oz.  nearly. 

—  12  lb.  nearly. 

100 

Mane! 

10,000 

100 

Talent  (Kikkar) 

B.  TABLES  OF  MONEY. 
TABLE  ILL—  OLD  HEBREW  MONEY.     (By  Weight.) 


I.  Of  Silver. 

£.  «.  d. 

0    16 

0    3    0 

9    0    0 

450    0    0 

2 

Shekel 

120 

60 

6000 

3000 

354 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


II.  Of  Gold  (at  £i  per  oz.  Troy). 

£.  s.   d. 

Shekel 

12    0 

110    0    0 

11,000    0    0 

i 

j        100 

Maneh 

10,000 

100 

Talent 

Note. — As  the  Gold  Talent  was  twice  the  weight  of  the  silver,  and  the 
ratio  of  gold  to  silver  was  rather  more  than  12.1,  these  results  agree  closely 
enough. 

TABLE  IV.— MONEY  OF  THE  ASMON.EAN  PERIOD. 


CoprEE,  Silver,  and  Gold. 

X.  s.  d. 

0    0    0 
0    0    9 
0    16 
0    3    0 
12    0 

0    0    9 
0    10 
0    2    3 

H 

Quartei 

3 

2 

Half  (of  Shekel)— Copper  and  Silver 

6 

4 

2      i  Shekel    Silver 

finld 

Note.— Herod's  three  Copper  Pieces : 

(Vl   Probablv  pnn.nl  tn  the  Onnrtpr-Shpkel 

(2) 
(3) 

"                    Half            "      

TABLE  V.— CURRENCY  IN  THE  TIME  OF  CHRIST. 


I.  Jewish  and  Roman  Copper. 


£.  s.   d. 


Lepton  (Mite) 

Quadraus  (Farthing) 

4         Assarion  or  As  (Penny) . 


8 


L 


0    0    0& 

0    0    0J 

0     n     l:J 


f 

II.  Roman  and  Greek  Silver. 

£.  s.  d. 

0    0    9 
0    16 
0    3    0 

o 

4 

2 

Stater  or  Tetradrachm  =  Shekel 

MEASURES. 


355 


Gold  Monet  is  referred  to  in  the  New  Testament,  without 
reference  to  specific  values.  The  following  were  the  pieces  in 
circulation  : 

£.    : 

(1)  The  Imperial  Aueeus,  worth  about 1    1 

(2)  Greek  Statebs,  of  probably  about  the  same  standard  as  j     j    a 

the  Persian  Daric i 

The  Talent  is  often  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  but  in  a 
manner  which  leaves  it  quite  undetermined  whether  the  word  is 
a  translation  of  the  old  Hebrew  kikkar,  or  whether  it  refers  to  the 
Greek  or  other  systems  which  prevailed  throughout  the  East.  Of 
these  systems  the  most  general  was  : 

(1)  The  Attic  Talent  of  Silver,  worth  about  £243  15s.,  or)     ^250 

approximately ) 

But  there  were  also — 

(2)  The  Edboio  Talent,  worth  £338  10s.  10d.,  or  nearly £340 

(3)  The  ^Eginetan,  worth  £406  5s.,  or  approximately £410 


C.  TABLES  OF  MEASURES. 
Table  VI. 


Hebrew 

Inches. 

Approximate 

Feet. 

Inches. 

•7938 

3-1752 

9-5257 

19-0515 

1143090 

1 
9 

■8ori| 

3-3_ 

1G 

Si 

7 
6 

4 

12 

3 

24 

6 

2 

Cubit  . 

144 

36 

12 

6 

Reed 

Some  authorities  add — 

Ft.     in. 

The  Arabian  Pole  of  S  Cubits 12    6 

The  Measuring-line  of  flax  (or  Schcenus),  of  Ezek.  xl.  3,  of  SO  cubits  125    0 

Note. — According  to  the  more  common  view,  which  makes  the  cubit  nearly 
22  inches,  all  these  measures  would  have  to  be  increased  in  proportion. 


356  SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 

Table  "VTL— Foreign  Measures  or  Length  and  Distance. 


Miles. 

Feet. 

Inches. 

.9193 
3*  nearly. 

1 

4 

6 

600 

=4854 

11-0496 
0135 

10-248 
0-81 
9 

14, 

5 

n 

6* 

6 

H 

625 

600 

125 

100 

5,000 

4S00 

1000 

800 

S 
30 

18,750 

18,000 

3750 

3000 

3J  Persian  Parasang 

D.   MEASURES  OF  CAPACITY. 
Table  \TLI.— Hebrew  Measures  of  Capacity  for  Liquids. 


Log. 

12 

llin. 

72 

6 

Bath. 

Table  IX.—  Hebrew  Measures  of  Capacity  foe  Things  Dry. 


Cab. 

Omer. 

Seah. 

Ephah. 

Homer. 

H 

6 

H 

18 

10 

3 

180 

100 

30 

10 

Table  X. 

(Josephus.)      (Rabbinists.) 

Gallons.         Gallons. 

Homer  or  Cor 86-696  or  44--2S6     lOf  or  5J  bushels. 

Ephah  or  Bath S-6696  "    4-42S6 

Seah 2-8898  "    1-4762 

Hin 1-4449  "      "7381 

Omer -S069  "      -4428 

Cab -4816  "      -246 

Log '1204  "      -0615 


INDEX. 


AAB0N. 


Aabon,  58.  Appointed  one  of  the 
leaders  of  Israel,  61.  Charged  to 
bring  the  people  out  of  Egypt, 
62.  Sees  God,  72.  With  his  sons 
anointed  to  the  priesthood,  T5.  His 
opposition  to  Moses,  77.  His  diso- 
bedience, 80.  His  death,  81.  As 
high-priest,  98. 

Abarim,  mountains  of,  82. 

Abdon,  the  Twelfth  Judge,  133. 

Abed-nego,  207,  211. 

Abel,  his  name,  22.  His  sacrifice  and 
death,  23. 

Abel-Shittim,82. 

Abiah,  son  of  Samuel,  138. 

Abiathar,  sou  of  Ahimelech,  in  Da- 
vid's camp,  151.  High-priest,  154. 
Supports  Adonijah,  105.  Banished 
and  deposed  from  the  priesthood, 
108. 

Abib,  105. 

Abigail,  wife  of  Nabal,  153.  Married 
to  David,  153. 

Abihu,  sees  God,  72. 

Abijah,  sou  of  Rehoboam,his  reign, 
176. 

,    son    of   Jeroboam,    his   early 

death,  178. 

Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar,  36. 

,  son  of  preceding,  32. 

,  son  of  Gideon,  i30.    Succeeds  in 

establishing  a  kingdom  at  Shechem, 
130.  His  death,  131.  Commonly 
reckoned  as  the  Sixth  Judge,  130. 

Abinadab,  son  of  Saul,  154. 

Abiram,  rebellion  of,  79. 

Abishag  the  Shunammite,.167. 

Abishai,  nephew  of  David,  157.  His 
victory  over  the  Edomites,  100,  103. 

Abner,  153.  Proclaims  Ishbosheth  as 
king,  150.    His  death,  157. 

Abraham,  29.  His  call,  31.  God's 
second  promise  to  him,  32.  Third 
promise,  32.    He   rescues  Lot,  33. 


AHAZIAn. 

God's  fourth  promise  to  him,  34. 
Change  of  his  name,  34.  Renewal 
of  the  covenant,  34.  Appearance  of 
the  "three  meu  "  to  him,  35.  Dwells 
at  Beer-sheba,  30.  Birth  of  his  sou 
Isaac,  36.  Commanded  to  sacrifice 
Isaac,  37.  His  return  from  Beer- 
sheba,  3S.  Purchases  the  cave  of 
Machpelah,  3,8.    His  death,  39. 

Abram  (see  Abraham). 

Absalom,  sou  of  David,  162.  His  plot 
against  his  father,  162.  His  death, 
184. 

Accad,  foundation  of,  30. 

Aceldama,  292. 

Achaia,  its  contributions  for  the  poor 
in  Jerusalem,  330. 

Achan,  unfaithfulness  of,  115. 

Achaziah  (see  Ahaziah). 

Achish,  king  of  Gath,  151, 153. 

Achor,  110. 

Acts  of  the  Apostles,  not  a  complete 
apostolic  history,  307,  349. 

Adam,  his  creation,  20.  Placed  in 
Paradise,  20.  His  temptation  and 
fall,  21.  His  punishment,  22.  His 
descendants,  24. 

Admah,  33. 

Adoni  -  zedec,  king  of  Jerusalem, 
makes  a  league  agaiust  Gibeou,  116. 
His  death,  117. 

Adonijah,  son  of  David,  165.  His 
conspiracy,  167. 

Adoram,  176. 

Adullam,  cave  of,  151. 

Agabus,  predicts  a  famine,  323.  Proph- 
ecies of,  341. 

Agaar,  taken  prisoner  by  Saul,  145. 
Slain,  146. 

Agrippa,  St.  Paul's  defense  before, 
342,  345. 

(see  Herod  Agrippa). 

Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  179.  Reign  of, 
183-187. 

Ahasuerus,  213. 

Ahaz,  king  of  Jndah,  197, 198. 

Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah,  his  reign,  190. 
His  death,  191. 


358 


SCRIPTURE   HISTORY. 


AHAZ1AII.        "• 

Ahaziah,  king  of  Israel,  son  of  Ahab, 
1ST,  1SS. 

Ataijah  the  Shilonite,  173, 178. 

Ahimelech  the  high-priest,  151. 

Ahinoam,  wife  of  David,  153. 

Ahio,  sou  of  Abinadab,  158. 

Ahithophel  of  Gilo,  162, 103. 

Aholiab,  74. 

Ai,  attacked  by  the  Israelites,  115. 
Taken,  116. 

Alcimus,  high-priest,  courts  Demetri- 
us, 227. 

Alexander,  son  of  Aristobulus  II., 
232. 

-, —  the  Great,  interview  of,  with 
Jaddua,  224. 

Alexander  Jannseus,  wars  of,  231. 

Alexandra,  wife  of  Alexander  Jannse- 
us,  231. 

Altar  of  burnt-offering  in  the  taber- 
nacle, 94. 

■ of  Incense  in  the  tabernacle,  95. 

Amalekites,  their  origin,  70.  Doomed 
to  ultimate  extinction,  70.  Defeat 
the  Israelites,  79.  Saul  commanded 
to  destroy  the,  145. 

Amariah  the  high-priest,  181. 

Amaziah,  son  of  Joash,  bis  reign,  194. 

the  high-priest,  195. 

Ammonites,  the,  131.  Defeated  by 
Jephthah,  132.  Defeated  by  Saul", 
144.     Conquered  by  David,  160. 

Amnon,  sou  of  David,  162. 

Anion,  king  of  Judah,  205. 

Amorites,  the,  81.  Defeated  by  the 
Israelites,  82.    By  Joshua,  116. 

Amos  the  prophet,  195. 

■ ,  Book  of,  19S. 

Arm-am,  5S.  House  of,  chosen  to  per- 
form functions  of  priesthood,  9S. 

Anakim,  the  giant,  118. 

Ananias  aud"Sappuira,  the  story  of, 
310. 

Ananias  comes  to  Caesarea  to  accuse 
Paul  before  Felix,  343. 

Andrew,  follows  Christ,  243.  Com- 
manded by  Christ  to  let  down  his 
nets,  249.     Final  call  of,  249. 

Anna,   daughter    of  Phanuel,   gives 
thanks  for  the   advent  of  Christ, 
239. 
Annas,  Christ  in  the  house  of,  287. 

,  high-priest,  350. 

Annunciation,  the,  238. 
Antigonus,  son  of  Aristobulus  II.,  232. 
Repulsed  by  Herod,  233.  Marches 
upon  Jerusalem,  233.  Nominal  sov- 
ereignty of,  233. 
Antioch,  becomes  a  centre  of  the 
Christian  Church,  320.  First  Gen- 
tile Church  formed  at,  and  name  of 


Christian  first  heard  at,  321.  Paul 
and  Barnabas  at,  325.  Paul  at,  336. 
Antiochus  III.,  the  Great,  his  war 
with  Ptolemy  IV.,  224.  Becomes 
master  of  Ccele-Syria  and  Palestine, 
225. 
■  IV.,  Epiphanes,  225.  His  cam- 
paigns against  Egypt,  225.  His  per- 
secution of  the  Jews,  226.  His 
death,  227. 

V.,  Eupator,  succeeds  his  father, 

227. 

VII.,  Sidetes,  229. 

Antipater,  his  war  against  Aristobu- 
lus II.,  230.  Governs  Judaea,  232. 
Poisoned,  232. 

,  son  of  Herod,  234,  235. 

Apocalvpse,  350. 

Apollos  of  Alexandria,  337,  338. 

Apostles,  Twelve,  choice  of  the,  255. 
Character  of  their  office,  256.  Their 
personal  qualifications,  256.  Lists 
of  the,  257.  Attend  Christ  in  his 
second  circuit  of  Galilee,  260.  Sent 
forth  on  their  mission,  262.  Their 
failure  in  healing  a  case  of  demoni- 
acal possession,  270. 

,  the,  assembled,  Christ's  appear- 
ance to,  303.  His  second  appearance 
to  them  with  Thomas,  303.  His 
third  appearance  to  them,  303.  Be- 
fore the  Sanhedrim,  310.  Continue 
to  teach  and  preach  Jesus,  311. 

Appii  Forum,  the  Christians  meet 
Paul  at,  348. 

Aquila  and  Priscilla,  St.  Paul  takes  tip 
his  abode  with,  333.  They  iucnr 
the  risk  of  martyrdom,  334.  Sail 
with  St.  Paul  from  Ceuchreae,  335. 
Instruct  Apollos,  333. 

ArabahjSl. 

Arad,  king,  81. 

Aram,  children  of,  40. 

Ararat  as  the  resting-place  of  the  Ark, 
26. 

Araunah,  the  threshing-floor  of,  1C5. 

Archelaus,  son  of  Herod  the  Great, 
named  by  Herod  as  his  successor, 
240. 

Aretas,  espouses  the  cause  cf  Hyrca 
nus  II.,  231. 

,  father-in-law  of  Herod  Antipas, 

262. 

,  his  war  with  Herod,  317. 

Aristobulus  I.,  son  of  John  Hyrcanus, 
assumes  the  title  of  king,  230. 

II.,  231. 

Ark,  Noah  commanded  to  prepare 
the,  25.  Construction  and  dimen- 
sions of  the,  28. 

of  the  Covenant,  75,  77, 96.     Cap- 


INDEX. 


3olJ 


turcd  by  the  Philistines,  13T. 
Brought  "to  Jerusalem  by  David, 
158,  159.  Deposited  in  the  temple, 
170. 

Armenia,  as  centre  of  the  race  of 
Noah,  27. 

Arphaxad,  30,  40. 

Artaxerxes  I..  21S. 

Asa,  king  of  Judata,  reign  of,  180. 

Asahel,  nephew  of  David,  15T. 

Asaph,  159. 

Asenath,  wife  of  Joseph,  50. 

Ashdod,  13T,  202. 

Asher,44.     Tribe  of,  119. 

Asherah,  the,  180. 

Ashtoreth,  1S3. 

Asia,  St.  Paul  and  his  companions  for- 
bidden to  preach  the  Gospel  in,  329. 

Asmonsean  kingdom  established  by 
Aristobulus,  230. 

Ass,  Balaam's,  S3. 

Asshur,  40. 

Assyria,  190, 19T. 

Astarte  (see  Baal). 

Astyages,  213. 

Athaliah,  wife  of  Jehoram,  190.  Her 
usurpation  and  death,  191. 

Athens,  Paul  at,  332. 

■ ,  the  sermon  at,  332. 

Atonement,  the  Day  of,  10". 

Augustus,  Herod's  sous  brought  be- 
fare,  240. 

Azariah,  20T. 

the  high-priest,  19G. 

the  prophet  exhorts  Asa,  ISO. 

Azazel,  lot  for,  107. 

B. 

Baal,  service  of,  established  in  Israel 
by  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  1S3.  Over- 
thrown by  Elijah,  1S4. 

Baal-berith,  130. 

Baasha,  17S.  His  reign,  179.  Massa- 
cre of  his  family,  179. 

Babel,  city  of,  30." 

Babylon  (see  Babel).  Taken  by  Cyrus, 
212. 

,  First  Epistle  of  Peter,  written 

from,  351. 

Babylonia,  30. 

Bacchides,  227,  22S. 

Balaam,  84,  85. 

Balak,  son  of  Zippor,  S2,  S3,  S4. 

Baptism  of  John,  242. 

Barabbas,  his  release  demanded  by 
the  people  instead  of  that  of  Christ, 
290. 

Barak,  the  Fourth  Judge  with  Debo- 
rah, 126, 127. 

Bans,  tower  of,  229. 


Bar-Jesus  (see  Elymas). 
Barnabas  of  Cyprus,  self-sacrifice  of, 
310.     Brings  Saul  to  the  apostles, 
319.     Sent  to  Antioch,  321.     Seeks 
out  Saul  at  Tarsus,  321.    His  mis- 
sion to  Jerusalem,  323.    Separated 
with  Saul  for  the  mission  to   the 
Gentiles,  324.     His  first  missionary 
journey  with  Paul,  324.     His  return 
journey  with  Paul,  326.     Separates 
from   Paul,   and   goes   with  John 
Mark  to  Cyprus,  32S. 
Barzillai,  the  Gileadite,  164. 
Bashan,  81,  S2. 
Bath-col,  the,  242. 
Bath-sheba,  101, 162. 
Beer-sheba,  Abraham  at,  36. 

,  well  of,  36. 

Beatitudes,  Mount  of,  the,  256,  257. 
"  Beautiful "  gate,  miracle  at  the,  309. 
Bela,  one  of  the  five   cities  of  the 

plain,  33,  36. 
Belshazzar,  feast  of,  212. 
Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  kills 

Adonijah  and  Joab,  16S. 
Benedictus,  the,  23S. 
Ben-hadad   I.,   the   Syrian    king   of 
Damascus,  invades  the  north  of  Is- 
rael, 179.    Continues  the  war,  179. 

• II.,  his  wars  with  Ahab,  ISO.  His 

death,  190. 

III.,  defeated  by  Jehoash,  194. 

Benjamin,  birth  of,  47.     Goes  into 
Egypt,  51,  52.     Tribe  of,  119. 

,  destruction  of,  123, 124. 

Ben-oni  (.see  Benjamin). 

Berenice,  sister  of  Herod  AgrippaH., 

345. 
BeroBa,  noble-mindedness  of  the  Jews 

at,  332. 
Bethabara,  place  of  Christ's  baptism, 

274. 
Bethany,  the  family  at,  274.    The  Sab- 
bath spent  at,  277. 
Beth-jcshimoth,  S2. 
Bethel,  Abraham  at,  32.     Jacob  at,  t::. 
Beth-esda,  miracle  at  the  pool  of,  2f  I 
Bethlehem,  birth    of  Christ   at,   238, 

Massacre  of  the  babes  in,  235. 
Bethphage,  279. 
Beth-sura,  town  of,  227. 
Bethuel,  son  of  Nahor,  38. 
Bezaleel,  artiticerof  the  tabernacle. ";. 
Bilhah,  44.     Children  of,  44. 
Birs-Nimrud,  30. 
Boaz,  125. 

Bread,  unleavened,  105, 10G. 
Burnt-offerings,  99,  100. 
Bnrrus,  prefect  of  the  praetorian  guard, 

Paul  delivered  up  to,  34S. 
Bush,  burning  of  the,  60. 


300 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


O.E8AR. 

c. 

C»sar,  Julius,  assisted  by  Antipater, 

232.     Death  of,  232. 
Csesarea,  city  of,  234.     Paul  at,  341. 

Tumult  between  the  Jews  aud  the 

Syrian  Greeks  at,  344. 
Cresarea  Philippi,  city  of,  234.    Built 

by  Herod  Philip,  241. 
Caiaphas  interrogates  Christ,  2S7,  2SS. 

,  high-priest,  deposed,  313. 

,  the  high-priest,  hia  argument  for 

Christ's  death,  276. 
Cain,  birth  of,  22.    Murders  Abel,  23. 

His  condemnation,  23.    Builds  the 

first  city,  23.    His  descendants,  23, 

24,25. 
Caiuan,  son  of  Seth,  24. 
Caiuitc  race,  24,  25. 
Caleb,  78,  79,  85. 
Calf,  molten,  73. 
Caligula,  313,  320,  321. 
Caliieh,  foundation  of,  30. 
Calvary,  293. 

Cambyses,  king  of  Persia,  217. 
Cana, "marriage-feast  at,  243.    Second 

visit  of  Christ  to,  247. 
Canaan,  27.     Jacob's  possession   in, 

46. 
Canaanites,  32.    Defeat  the  Israelites, 

79. 
Candlestick,  golden,  96. 
Canon,  Scriptures  collected  into  a,  217. 
Capernaum,  Jesus   appears    at,  248. 

Return  of  Jesus  to,  251. 
Captivity  of  Israel,  19S. 

of  Judah.    First  Captivity,  19S. 

the  Great,  207. 

Carmel,  Mount,  1S4. 

Cassius,  governor  of  Syria,  232. 

"Castor  and  Pollux,"   the  ship   in 

which  Paul  embarked  from  Malta, 

347. 
Centurion,  conversion  of  the,  2C6. 
Chaldasan  astrologers,  211. 
Chaldee  language,  219. 
Charran,  31. 

Chedorlaomer,  king  of  Elam,  33. 
Cherubim  in  the  tabernacle,  94. 
Chilion,  son  of  Naomi,  125. 
Chtmham,  sou  of  Barziilai,  164. 
Chinneroth,  sea  of,  117. 
Chorazin,  Jesus  repeats  the  doom  of 

woe  upon,  259. 
Christ,  birth  of,  238.     His  childhood 

and  youth,  239.      Baptism   of,  242. 

Proclaimed   the  Son  of  God,  242, 

His  temptation  in  the  wilderness, 

242.     His   first  miracle,  243.     His 

short    abode    at    Capernaum,   243. 

Purifies  the  temple,  245.    His  con- 


OHEIST. 

verts  at  the  Passover,  245.  Leaves 
Jerusalem  for  the  country  of  Judea, 
and  gathers  converts  who  are  bap- 
tized by  his  disciples,  245.  Retires 
to  Galilee,  246.  His  reception  iu 
Galilee,  247.  Date  of  his  public 
ministry  in  Galilee,  247.  His  second 
visit  to  Caua,  247.  Proclaims  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  as  at  hand,  247. 
Proclaims  himself  as  the  Messiah, 
24S.  His  final  call  to  Andrew  and 
Peter,  James  and  John,  249.  Heal- 
ing of  the  demoniac,  249.  Healing 
of  Peter's  wife's  mother,  249.  His 
first  circuit  through  Galilee,  251. 
Cure  of  leprosy,  251.  Returns  to 
Capernaum,  251.  Cures  the  para- 
lytic, 251.  Claims  the  divine  pre- 
rogative of  forgiving  sin,  251.  Goes 
up  to  Jerusalem,  252.  Heals  the 
cripple  at  Bethesda,  254.  His  fii>6t 
great  doctrinal  discourse,  254.  As- 
serts his  supremacy  over  the  Sab- 
bath, 254.  Claims  his  divinity,  254. 
The  plots  against  his  life,  254.  Sec- 
ond period  of  his  ministry  in  Gali- 
lee, 254  Defends  his  disciples  foi 
plucking  corn  on  the  Sabbath,  254. 
Heals  the  man  with  the  withered 
hand,  254.  Plot  of  the  Pharisees 
and  Herodians  against  him,  255. 
Retires  to  the  shore  of  the  Galilean 
lake,  255.  His  miracles  there,  255. 
His  preparations  for  organizing  the 
Christian  Church,  255.  His  choice 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  255,  256. 
His  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  257,  258. 
Heals  the  servant  of  the  centurion, 

258.  Restores  the  life  of  the  son  of 
the  widow  of  Nain,  25S.  His  mes- 
sage to  John  the  Baptist  in  prison, 
25S,  259.     His   testimony   to  John, 

259.  Reveals  himself  as  a  iudge, 
259.  Anointed,  259,  260.  Makes 
his  second  circuit  of  Galilee,  260. 
His  controversy  with  the  Pharisees, 
200.  Heals  the  blind  and  dumb  de 
moniac,  200.  The  visit  of  his  moth- 
er and  brethren,  260.  His  para 
bles,  261.  Stills  the  storm,  261. 
Heals  the  man  possessed  of  a  legion 
of  devils,  261.  His  second  rejection 
at  Nazareth,  261.  His  third  circuit 
of  Galilee,  261.  Retires  to  a  lonely 
spot  on  the  lake,  204.  His  first  mir- 
acle of  the  loaves  and  fishes,  266. 
Its  effect  on  the  Galileans,  266,  267. 
The  Galileans  wish  to  make  him 
king,  267.  Walks  upon  the  water, 
267.  His  controversy,  in  which  the 
people  desire  a  new  sign,  26^.    Re- 


INDEX. 


361 


0HEI8T. 

tires  to  the  Decapolis,  2CS.  His  sec- 
ond miracle  of  the  loaves  and  fish- 
es, 268.  His  encouuter  with  the 
Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Hero- 
diaus,  2GS.  Ascends  the  Jordan  to 
Caesarea  Philippi,  269.  Demands 
full  confession  of  faith  from  the  dis- 
ciples, 269.  Reveals  to  the  disci- 
ples the  mystery  of  his  death  and 
resurrection,  269.  His  transfigura- 
tion, 270.  His  last  return  to  Caper- 
naum, 271.  Sets  a  little  child  in  the 
midst  of  the  apostles,  271.  His  en- 
suing discourse,  271.  His  final  de- 
parture from  Galilee,  272.  His  jour- 
ney through  Samaria  and  rejection 
there,  272.  Appears  at  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles,  teaching  in  the  tem- 
ple, 272.  Proclaims  himself  the 
Giver  of  the  water  of  life,  27:!.  Rep- 
resents himself  as  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, 273.  At  the  Feast  of  the  Ded- 
ication, 274  Jews  again  attempt  to 
stone  him,  274.  Retires  to  Betha- 
bara,  274.  Raises  Lazarus  from  the 
dead,  275.  In  the  home  at  Beth- 
any, 274, 275.  Council  held  concern- 
ing, 275.  Withdraws  to  Ephraim, 
276.  His  return  towards  Jeru- 
salem, 27G.  His  denunciation  of 
Herod,  276.  His  progress  through 
Peraea,  276.  Warns  his  discipes  for 
the  third  time  of  his  passion,  death, 
and  resurrection,  277.  Re -crosses 
the  Jordan  to  Jericho,  277.  Spends 
the  Sabbath  at  Bethany,  277.  Pre- 
pares to  present  himself  in  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  279.  His  re- 
ception at  Jerusalem,  279.  Returns 
to  Bethany,  2S0.  His  second  cleans- 
ing of  the  temple,  280.  The  last  day 
of  his  public  teaching,  2S0.  Asks 
the  chief  priests  and  scribes  wheth- 
er the  baptism  of  John  was  from 
heaven  or  of  man,  2S1.  His  parables 
concerning  their  rejection  of  him, 
281.  Devices  to  entrap  him,  2S1. 
Answers  the  Sadducees  concern- 
ing the  resurrection,  281.  His  great 
commandment,  281,  282.  (Ques- 
tions the  Pharisees,  2S2.  His  de- 
nunciation of  the  Scribes  and  Phar- 
isees, 282.  His  lamentation  over 
Jerusalem,  2S3.  His  praise  of  the 
poor  widow,  2S3.  His  final  depart- 
ure from  the  temple,  2S3.  His 
prophecy  of  the  destruction  of  Je- 
rusalem and  of  the  end  of  the  world, 
2S3,  284.  Eats  the  Paschal  Supper 
with  his  disciples,  285,  2S6.  Wash- 
es the  feet  of  the  disciples,  286.    Re- 


OILICIANS. 

veals  the  treachery  of  Judas,  286. 
Announces  that  his  hour  is  come, 
286.  His  commandment  that  they 
should  love  one  another,  286.  His 
prediction  about  Peter,  286.  Ap. 
points  to  meet  the  disciples  in  Gal- 
ilee after  his  resurrection,  2S6.  His 
last  discourse  and  intercessory 
prayer,  286.  Goes  out  to  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  287.  His  agony  in  the 
garden,  2S7.  Surrenders  himself 
into  the  hands  of  the  officers  sent  to 
take  him,  287.  Sent  to  Caiaphas, 
2S7.  Interrogated  by  him,  2S7,  288. 
Arraigned  before  the  Sanhedrim, 
2SS.  Avows  himself  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  289.  Brought  before 
Pilate,  289.  Sent  by  him  to  Herod 
Antipas,  290.  Yielded  up  by  Pilate 
to  the  people,  291.  Handed  over  to 
the  Roman  soldiers,  291.  Pilate's 
last  effort  to  save  him,  291.  Sen- 
tence pronounced  upon  him  bv  Pi- 
late, 292.  His  crucifixion,  292-296. 
His  sayings  from  the  cross,  294-296. 
Confides  his  mother  to  John,  295. 
Portents  following  his  death,  296. 
Found  already  dead,  297.  His  side 
pierced,  297.  Testimony  of  St. 
John,  297.  Care  of  Pilate  to  ascer- 
tain the  truth  of  his  death,  297.  His 
burial,  298.  His  first  appearance 
after  the  resurrection,  301.  His 
second  appearance,  302.  His  third 
appearance.  302.  His  fourth  ap- 
pearance, 302.  His  fifth  appear- 
ance, 303.  His  sixth  appearance, 
303.  His  seventh  appearance,  303. 
His  command  to  Peter  and  predic- 
tion of  his  martyrdom,  304.  His 
eighth  appearance,  to  the  great 
body  of  his  disciples,  304.  His 
commission  to  them,  304,  305.  His 
ninth  appearance,  305.  His  last  in- 
terview with  the  apostles  and  his 
ascension,  305.  The  prophecy  of 
hi.?  second  coming,  306. 

Christians,  disciples  first  called,  321. 

Church,  Christian,  beginning  of  the, 
255.  Consecration  of  the,  256.  Be- 
ginnning  of  positive  institutions  in 
the,  311. 

of  Christ,  full  establishment  of 

the,  in  the  Holy  Land,  etc.,  record- 
ed in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  307. 
Foundation  of  the,  307.  Two  sec- 
tions of  the  primitive,  308. 

Chushan-rishathaim,  125. 

Cilicia,  province  of,  at  the  time  of  St, 
Paul,  316. 

Cilicians,  mention  of  the,  in  the  con 


362 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


C1BOUMCISION. 

troversy  between  Stephen  and  the 

Hellenistic  Jews,  312. 
Circumcision  first  enjoined,  34,  73, 

101. 
Cities  of  refuge,  120. 
Claudius,  his  edict  for  the  toleration 

of  the  Jewish  religion,  322.    Death 

of,  33C. 
Cleopas,  Christ's  appearance  to,  302. 
Cleopatra,  her  relations  with  Herod, 

234. 
Colossiaus,  Epistle  to  the,  350. 
Commandments,  Ten,  72,  91,  92. 
Confusion  of  speech,  30. 
Congregation,  princes  of  the,  109. 
Coniah  (see  Jehoiachin). 
Corbulo,  Domitius,  prefect  of  Syria, 

344. 
Corinth,  its  importance  in  the  history 

of  Paul,  333.    Paul  at,  335,  337. 
Corinthians,  First  Epistle  to  the,  33S. 
Cornelius,  conversion  of,  313. 
Council,  First,  at  Jerusalem,  32G. 
Covenant  with  Noah  and  his  race,  27. 

New,  with   Abraham,  34.     Renew- 
ed to  the  descendants  of  Abraham, 

38. 
,  New,  division  of  the  historv  of 

the,  230. 
Crassus  pillages  the  temple,  232. 
Creation,  the,  19-21. 
Crispus,  the  baptism  of,  334. 
Cross,  form  of  the,  used  in  crucifixion, 

293. 
Crucifixion,  account  of  the,  292-290. 

Sayings  of  Christ  during  the,  294- 

290.     Portents  following  the,  290. 
Cush,  40. 

Cyprus,  Barnabas  and  Saul  at,  324. 
Cyrenians  and  Alexandrians,  312. 
Cyrus  the  Great,  takes  Babylon,  212, 

213.    Decrees  the  rebuilding  of  the 

temple,  215. 

D. 

Damans,  conversion  of,  333. 

Damascus,  32.  Made  tributary  to 
David,  160.  St.  Paul's  ministry  at, 
319. 

Dan,  44.     Tribe  of,  119. 

Daniel,  207.  His  relations  with  Neb- 
uchadnezzar, 211.  Last  days  of, 
213. 

,  Book  of,  210,  212,  213. 

Darius,  king  of  Persia,  217. 

,  the  Median,  213. 

Dathan,  rebellion  of,  79. 

David,  anointed  by  Samuel,  146. 
Description  of,  147.  Introduced  to 
the  court  of  Saul,  147.    Plays  before 


DISPERSION. 

Saul,  147.  Slays  Goliath,  147,  148. 
His  friendship  with  Jonathan,  149. 
Saul's  jealousy  of  him,  149.  Marries 
a  daughter  of  Saul,  149.  Escapes 
from  Saul,  150.  Flies  to  Nob,  151. 
Deceives  Ahimelech,  15L  Takes 
refuge  in  the  cave  of  Adullam,  151. 
Leaves  his  concealment,  and  is 
hunted  by  Saul,  151.  Pursued  by 
Saul,  152.  His  conduct  towards 
Nabal,  153.  Again  pursued  by  Saul, 
and  reconciled  to  him,  153.  Seeks 
shelter  among  the  Philistines,  ir>3. 
His  lamentation  over  Saul  and  Jon- 
athan, 155.  Takes  Jerusalem,  15S. 
His  sin  with  Bath-sheba,  161.  Reign 
of,  156-166.  Pestilence  in  his  reign, 
165.  Builds  an  altar  to  Jehovah, 
165.  Makes  preparation  for  build- 
ing the  temple,  165.  Tomb  of,  166. 
Character  of,  106. 

David,  son  of,  Christ  saluted  as  the, 
277. 

Deacons,  the  seven  men  called,  311. 

Debir,  city  of,  destroyed,  117. 

Deborah,  47. 

,  reckoned  with    Barak    a*   the 

Fourth  Judge,  120. 

Decapolis,  Christ  at,  268. 

Dedication  of  the  first-born,  101. 

,  the  feast  of,  10S,  227. 

■ ,  feast  of  the  (see  Feast). 

Delilah.  135. 

Deluge,  25,  20. 

Demetrius  I.,  Soter,  becomes  king, 
227. 

II.,  Nicator,22S,  229. 

1  leader  of  the  party  at  Ephesna 

against  the  teaching  of  Paul,  339. 

Demoniac,  healing  of  the,  249. 

Demoniacal  possession,  question  of, 
249. 

Derbe,  Paul  and  Barnabas  at,  326. 

Deuteronomv,  Book  of,  86. 

Devil,  the,  21*,  22. 

Didrachm,  the,  value  of,  271. 

Dinah,  44,  47. 

Dionysins,  the  Areopagite,  conver- 
sion of,  333. 

Disciples,  the,  Christ  gives  them  their 
first  commission  to  begin  their 
work,  262.  Their  voyage  across  the 
lake,  267. 

,  Seventy,  sent  forth   by  Christ 

during  his  progress  through  Sama- 
ria, 272. 

Christ's  appearance  to  the  great 

body  of  his,  304. 

,  Christ's  commission  to  the,  3C5. 

,  dispersion  of  the,  312.  <f 

"  Dispersion,"  the,  215.  , 


INDEX. 


3G3 


DISPERSION. 


Dispersion,  St.  Peter  labors  among 

Jews  of  the,  351. 
Doeg,  151.    Slays  the  priests,  151. 
Dorcas,  the  raising  of,  320. 
Drusilla,  wife  of  Felix,  343. 


E. 


Sarth,  .nrmation  of  the,  19,  20. 
"Easter-day,"  299. 

Easter-eve,  29$. 

Ebal,  Mount,  8T,  116. 

Eben-ezer,  138. 

Eber,  30. 

Ecclesiastes,  Book  of,  173. 

Eden,  20. 

Edom,45. 

Edomites,  the,  47.  Their  defeat  by 
Joab,  100. 

Edrei,  82. 

Eglon,  city  of,  destroyed,  117.  King 
of,  enters  into  a  league  against  Gib- 
eon,  116.    His  death,  117. 

,  king  of  Moab,  120. 

Egypt,  Abraham  driven  into,  32. 
Commencement  of  sojourn  of  He- 
brews in,  50.  Seven  years'  famine 
in,  51. 

Egyptians  pursue  the  Israelites,  08. 
Their  destruction  in  the  Ked  Sea, 
68. 

Ehud,  the  Second  Judge,  120. 

Elah,  succeeds  his  father  Baasha  as 
king  of  Israel,  179. 

Elam,  40. 

Elath,16S. 

Eldad,  77. 

Elders,  appointment  of,  as  permanent 
officers,  326. 

Eleazar,  succeeds  Aaron  as  high- 
priest,  81.     His  death,  121. 

,  high-priest,  224. 

. ,  son  of  Mattathias,  227. 

Eli,  the  thirteenth  Judge,  133.  Wick- 
edness of  his  sons,  133,  130.  Re- 
buked by  God  through  Samuel,  130. 
His  death,  137. 
"Eli,"  considered  by  the  people  as  a 
call  for  the  prophet,  290. 

Eliab,  son  of  Jesse,  14S. 
Eliashib  the  high-priest,  220,  223. 
Eliezer,  steward  of  the  house  of  Abra- 
ham, 33. 

,  son  of  Moses,  59. 

Elijah,  the  Tishbite,  1S4.  His  mission, 
1S4.  Overthrows  the  worship  of 
Baal,  1S4.  Flies  for  his  life,  185. 
Dwells  in  the  wilderness,  1S5. 
Takes  Elisha  as  bis  servant,  1S5, 
ISO.    Denounces  Ahab's  sin,  180, 187. 


EZEKIEL. 

Sent  to  denounce  the  death  of  Aha- 
ziah,  187,  188.  Ascent  of,  18S.  Ap- 
pears in  the  transfiguration,  '.'To. 
Christ  affirms  his  having  already 
come  in  the  person  of  John  the 
Baptist,  270. 

Elimelech,  125. 

Elisabeth,  mother  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist, 237. 

Elisha,  becomes  Elijah's  servant.  185, 
1S6.  Succeeds  Elijah,  18S.  Rela- 
tions between  Jehoram  and,  1S9. 
His  deeds,  1S9.  Designates  Hazael 
as  future  king  of  Syria,  190.  His 
death,  194. 

Elkauah,  father  of  Samuel,  130. 

Elon,  the  eleventh  judge,  133. 

Eloth,  recovered  and  rebuilt  by  Uz- 
ziah,  196. 

Elymseans,  the,  40. 

Elymas,  the  sorcerer,  St.  Paul's  judg- 
ment on,  324. 

Emmaus,  the  journey  to,  302. 

Endor,  witch  of,  154. 

Enoch,  son  of  Cain,  23.  City  named 
after  him,  23. 

,  son  of  Jared,  his  translation,  24. 

Euos,  son  of  Seth,  24. 

Ephesians,  Epistle  to  the,  350. 

Ephesus,  Paul  at,  335,  33S.  Paul's 
voyage  to,  340.     St.  John  at,  352. 

Ephodrthe,  98. 

Ephraim,  birth  of,  50. 

,  tribe  of,  118,  1 19. 

Ephrou  the  Hittite,38. 

Epistles,  St.  Paul's,  350. 

Erastus,  his  mission  to  Macedonia  and 
Achaia,  33S. 

Erech,  foundation  of,  30. 

Esar  -  haddon,  king  of  Assyria,  199, 
204. 

Esau,  birth  of,  41.  Sells  his  birth- 
right,  41,42.  Marries,  42.  His  rec- 
onciliation with  Jacob,  46. 

Esdraelon,  plain  of,  120, 128. 

Esther,  218. 

,  Book  of,  215. 

Etham,  67. 

Ethbaal,  king  of  the  Zidonians,  183. 

Ethnarch,  title  of,  given  to  Archelaus, 
240. 

Eunice,  mother  of  Timothy,  329. 

Euphrates,  31,  32. 

Europe,  St.  Paul's  call  to,  329. 

Eutychus,  restored  to  life,  340. 

Eve,  creation  of,  21.    Tempted  by  Sa- 
tan, 21.     The  curse  upon  her,  22, 
The  promise  to  her,  22. 
Evil-merodach,  king  of  Babylon,  21S 
Exodus,  the,  06. 
Ezekiel,  207.    Prophecies  of,  208. 


364 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


Ezion-gaber,  or  geber,  16S. 
Ezra,  213,  219,  223. 
,  Book  of,  218. 

F. 

Fall,  the,  21. 

Famine   in  Judaea,  relieved  by  the 

Christians  of  Antioch,  323, 
Famines  in  Egypt,  51. 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  approach  of  the, 

272.     Christ    appears   at    the,  272, 

273. 
■ of  the  Dedication,  Christ  at  the, 

274. 
Felix,  procurator  of  Judaea,  336.    His 

treatment  of  3t.  Paul,  343,  344. 
Festus  Porcine,  procurator  of  Judaea, 

344.      Promises   to   send    Paul   to 

Caesar,  344. 
Fig-tree,  parable  of  the  barren,  2S0. 
Firmament,  20. 
Flood,  the,  25,  26. 
Friday,  Good,  288. 

G. 

Gaal,  leader  of  the  insurgents  against 

Abimelech,  131. 
Gabbatha,  292. 

Gabiuins,  proconsul  of  Syria,  232. 
Gabriel    appears    to  Zacharias,   237. 

Appears  to  Marv,  237,  238 
Gad,  44. 

,  tribe  of,  85,  86, 118. 

,  the  prophet,  151, 165. 

Gadara,  Christ's  miracle  in,  261. 

Gains,  baptism  of,  334. 

Galatia,  Juduizing  teachers  in,  337. 

Journey  of  Paul  through,  337. 
Galatiaus,  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the, 

329. 
Galeed,  45. 
Galilee,  117. 
,  account  of,  230.    Begiuniug  of 

Christ's    public    ministry  iu,  247. 

Christ's  first  circuit  through,  251. 

Christ  makes  his  second  circuit  of, 

260.    His  reception  in,  24S.    Christ's 

third  circuit  of,  261. 

,  Lake  of,  Jesus  at,  255. 

Gamaliel,  his  advice  to  the  Council, 

310.    The  teacher  of  St.  Paul,  311, 

316. 
Gaza,  135. 

Gehazi's  covetousness,  189. 
Gentiles,  first  formal  declaration  that 

the  offer  of  salvation,  rejected  by 

the  Jews,  was  handed  over  to  them, 

325. 
,  the  mission  to  the,  320 


Gerizim,  Mount,  87, 116. 

-,  temple  of,  223,  229. 

Gershom,  birth  of,  59. 

Gethsemane,  Garden  of,  Christ's  ag- 
ony in  the,  2S7. 

Gezer  destroyed,  117. 

Gibeomtes,  the,  obtain  peace  by  a 
stratagem,  116. 

Gideon  commanded  to  save  Israel 
from  the  Midianites,  127, 128.  Over- 
throws the  altar  of  Baal,  128.  The 
sign  of  the  fleece,  128, 129.  Defeats 
the  Midianites,  129.  Rank  of  king 
offered  to  him,  129.    His  death,  129. 

Gilgal,  114, 117, 143. 

Golgotha,  293. 

Goliath,  story  of,  147, 148. 

Gomates,  king  of  Persia,.  217. 

Gomer,  40. 

Gomorrah,  32.  Spoiling  of,  33.  De- 
struction of,  36. 

Goshen,  land  of,  54. 

Gospels,  the  four,  237. 

Greeks  at  Antioeh,  the  Gospel  preach- 
ed to  the,  320. 

H. 

Habakkuk,  the  prophet,  205. 

Hadad  makes  war  against  Solomon, 

173. 
Hadadezer,  the  son  of  Rehob,  160. 
Hadassah  (sec  Esther). 
Hagar,  34,  36,  37. 
Haggai,  the  prophet,  217. 
Hallel,  the,  105. 
"Hallel,  Great,"  the, 287. 
Ham,  26,  27.    Race  of,  29,  30, 40. 
Ilanian,  the  Agagite,  218. 
Hamath-zobah   conquered  by   Solo- 
mon, 172. 
Hamutai,  mother  of  Jehoahaz  and 

Zetlekiah,  206. 
Hanani,  the  seer,  reproves  Asa's  want 

of  faith,  180. 
Hanauiah,  207. 

Hannah,  wife  of  Elkanah,  136. 
Harau,  30. 

(see  Charran). 

Hazael,  designated  as  future  king  of 

Syria  190,  192, 193. 
Hazeroth,  77. 
Hazor,  city  of,  117. 
Heber,  the  Kenite,  127. 
Hebrew,  meaning  of  name,  32 
Hebrews,  Epistle  to  the,  350. 
Hebrews  in  the  Church,  311. 
Hebron,  city  of,  destroyed,  117. 
,  king  of,  enters   into  a  league 

against   Gibeon,    116.    His   death, 

117. 


INDEX. 


365 


HELLENISTIC  JEWS. 

Hellenistic  Jews,  Stephen's  contro- 
versy with  the,  311,  312. 

Hellenists  in  the  Church,  311. 

Hephzi-bah,  wife  of  Hezekiah,  204. 

Herod,  family  of,  240. 

— —  Agrippa  I.,  grandson  of  Herod 
the  Great,  uses  his  influence  for  the 
Jews,  322.    Governor  of  Tiberias, 

321.  Favor  of  Caligula   towards, 

322.  Receives  Judaea  from  Claudius, 
322.  His  murder  of  St.  James,  322. 
His  death,  323. 

Antipas,  sou  of  Herod  the  Great, 

first  named  by  Herod  as. his  succes- 
sor, 240.  Made  tetrarch,  240.  His 
character,  241.  Banished  by  Calig- 
ula, 241.  Sends  for  John  the  Bap- 
tist, 262.  Orders  the  execution  of 
John  the  Baptist,  263.  Believes  Je- 
sus to  be  John  restored  to  life,  263. 

,  son  of  Antipater,  made  governor 

of  Galilee,  232.  Made  governor  of 
Coele-Syria,  232.  Defeats  Autigouus, 
233.  Established  on  the  throne  of 
Judaea  and  surnamed  the  Great,  233. 
His  policy,  234.  Restores  the  tem- 
ple, 234.    His  death,  235. 

Philip,  son  of  Herod  the  Great, 

241. 

Herod's  fears  at  the  birth  of  Christ, 
235. 

Herodians,  Christ's  encounter  with 
the,  who  ask  for  a  sign,  26S.  Plot 
with  the  Pharisees  against  Christ, 
255, 2S1. 

Herodias,  wife  of  Herod  Antipas,  ex- 
cites her  husband  against  John  the 
Baptist,  262.  Herresentmentagainst 
John  the  Baptist,  263. 

Heshbon,  81. 

Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  193,  201. 
His  illuess,  202.  Receives  the  em- 
bassy from  Merodach,  202.  His 
kingdom  invaded  by  Sennacherib, 
203.    Deliverance  of,  204. 

High-priest,  most  important  person 
in  the  State,  223. 

Hilkiah,  the  high-priest,  218. 

Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  158.  His  assist- 
ance in  the  building  of  the  temple, 
169,  170, 172. 

,  the  architect,  169. 

Holiness  of  the  people,  101, 102. 

Holy  Ghost,  descent  of  the,  320.  The, 
commands  the  separation  of  Saul 
and  Barnabas  from  the  Church  at 
Antioch  for  the  mission  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, 324. 

Holy  Land,  Abraham  enters  the,  32. 

Holy  of  Holies,  the,  94. 

Holy  Place,  94,  95. 


JACOB. 

Holy  Spirit,  gift  of  the,  308,  309. 

Hophni,  sou  of  Eli,  136,  137. 

Horeb,  Mount,  60,  61.  Rock  in,  water 
flowing  from,  70. 

Hosea,  the  prophet,  195,  199. 

Hoshea,  king  of  Israel,  199. 

Huldah,  the  prophetess,  205. 

Hur,  husband  of  Miriam,  70. 

Hushai,  the  Archite,  163. 

Hyrcauus,  John,  229. 

,  son  of  Alexander  Jannseus,  suc- 
ceeds to  the  high  -  priesthood,  230. 
Nominally  succeeds  to  the  throne 
as  Hyrcanus  II.,  231. 


Ibzan,  the  Tenth  Judge,  13^ 

Ichabod,  birth  of,  137. 

Icouium,  Paul  and  Barnabas  at,  325. 

Iddo,  the  seer,  173. 

Immanuel,  prophecy  of  the  kingdom 
of,  197. 

Incense,  100. 

Isaac,  why  to  be  so  named,  35.  His 
birth,  36.  Trial  of  his  faith,  37.  His 
marriage,  39.  Inherits  his  father's 
wealth,  39.  Driven  from  Lahai-roi 
by  a  famine,  42.    His  death,  47. 

Isaiah,  counsellor  of  Hezekiah,  202. 
Death  of,  204. 

,  prophecies  of,  197, 198,  202. 

Ish-bosheth,  son  of  Saul,  140.  Reign 
of,  156.     His  death,  156. 

Ishtnael,  birth  of,  34.  His  share  in 
the  promise  of  God,  36,  37. 

Israel,  new  name  of  Jacob,  46.  Set- 
tlement of,  in  Egypt,  53,  54. 

,  kingdom  of,  174. 

Israelites,  period  of  their  sojourn  in 
Egypt,  54, 57.  Their  oppression  by 
the  Egyptians,  57-61.  Their  depart- 
ure from  Egypt,  66.  Their  march 
out  of  Egypt  to  Mount  Sinai,  67-71. 
Their  march  from  Sinai  to  the  bor- 
ders of  Canaan,  76-78.  Their  final 
march  from  Kadesh  to  the  Jordan, 
81. 

Issachar,  44.    Tribe  of,  119. 

Ittai,  the  Gittite^  163. 

J. 

Jabal,  23. 

Jabin,  king  of  Hazor,  forms  a  league 
against  Israel,  117.    His  defeat,  117. 

Jacob,  birth  of,  41.  Obtains  his 
brother's  birthright,  41, 42.  His  de- 
ceit, 42,  43.  His  dream,  43.  His 
marriage,  44.  His  fear  of  Esau,  45. 
Their  reconciliation,  46.    His  return 


366 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


to  Bethel,  47.  List  of  sons  of,  47. 
Settles  in  Egypt,  53,  54.  His  bless- 
ing on  his  sons,  55.     His  death,  55. 

Jaddtia,  the  high-priest,  223.  His  in- 
terview with  Alexander  the  Great, 
224. 

Jael,  wife  of  Heber,  127. 

Jahaz,  battle  at,  82. 

Jahaziel,  1S2. 

Jair,  the  Eighth  Judge,  131. 

James,  his  call,  249.  In  the  garden, 
287. 

,  Paul's  interview  with,  at  Jerusa- 
lem, 341. 

,  St.,  the  Less,  Christ's  appearance 

to,  305.  One  of  the  pillars  of  the 
Church,  305.    His  martyrdom,  322. 

Jason,  brother  of  the  high -priest 
Onias  III.,  obtains  the  high-priest- 
hood, 225.  Flees  to  the  Ammonites, 
225.    Attacks  Jerusalem,  225. 

,  Paul  supposed  to  be  in  the  house 

of,  332. 

Japheth,  20,  27,  28. 

,  race  of,  29,  30, 40. 

Jared,  sou  of  Seth,  24. 

Jarmuth,  king  of,  enters  into  a  league 
against  Gibeon,  110.  His  death, 
117. 

Javan,  40. 

Jeconiah  (see  Jehoiachin). 

Jehoahaz,  eleventh  king  of  Israel, 
193. 

,  king  of  Judah,  20G. 

Jehoash  (or  Joash),  twelflh  king  of 
Israel,  his  reign,  194. 

Jehoiachin,  207,  212. 

Jehoiada,  the  high-priest,  193. 

Jehoiakim,  king  of  Judah,  200,  207. 

Jehoram,  ninth  king  of  Israel,  189, 
190, 191. 

,  king  of  Judah,  his  reign,  190. 

Jehoshaphat,  king  of  Jndah,  succeeds 
to  the  throne,  ISO,  181.  Forms  an 
alliance  with  Ahab,  181.  Tries  to 
reform  the  people,  1S2.  His  death, 
182. 

Jehovah  reveals  himself  to  Moses,  60. 

- — -,  Angel,  35.   Appears  to  Jacob,  46. 

Jehovah-nissi,  70. 

Jehovah-shalom,  12S. 

Jehu,  king,  190,  191.    His  reign,  192. 

Jehu,  the  prophet,  179,  181. 

Jephthah,  the  Ninth  Judge,  132.  The 
sacrifice  of  his  daughter,  132.  His 
death,  133. 

Jeremiah  the  prophet,  205.  His  lam- 
entation for  Josiah,  205.  Book  of, 
206.     His  prophecies,  207,  20S-213. 

Jericho,  113.  Conquered  bv  the  Israel- 
ites, 115. 


JEZEBEL. 

Jeroboam,  son  of  Nebat,  171,  17S 
"  Visions,  against,"  173. 

,  his  revolt,  175.  Proclaimed  king, 

176.    His  reign,  177, 17S. 

II.,  king  of  Israel,  his  reign,  194, 

195. 

Jerub-baal,  new  name  of  Gideon,  128. 

Jerusalem,  157.  Taken  by  David,  15S. 
Taken  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  200. 
Besieged  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  208. 
Taken,  20S.  Burnt,  20S.  Fortified 
by  Nehemiah,  219.  Dedication  of 
the  walls  of,  220. 

,  Christ's  lamentation  over,  270. 

Christ's  prophecy  of  the  destruction 
of,  283,  284.  Christ  repeats  his  lam- 
entation over,  283. 

,  destruction  of,  by  Titus,  349,  352. 

Eutered  by  Pompey,  231.  Taken  by 
Herod,  233. 

,  Paul's  visit  to  the  Church,  at  the 

feast,  at,  330. 

Jeshua,  the  high-priest,  196. 

Jeshimon,  the,  82. 

Jesse,  his  son  David  anointed  as  king, 
146. 

Jesus,  name  given  to  the  Saviour,  23S. 

Jethro,  59.    His  visit  to  Moses,  71. 

Jews,  preparation  for  understanding 
state  of,  at  opening  of  the  New 
Testament,  223.  Privileges  of,  said 
to  have  been  granted  by  Alexander 
the  Great,  224.  A  large  number  of, 
removed  to  Egypt,  224.  Influence 
of  Greece  upon  the,  224.  Persecuted 
by  Antiochus  IV.,  225. 

Jews  of  Egypt,  influence  of  Hellenism 
on,  225.  Persecuted  by  Ptolemy 
IV.,  224,  225. 

■ ,  divisions  among  the,  at  time  ot 

Demetrius  I.,  208.  Under  the  Mac- 
cabees, 226,  229.  Under  Herod, 
233,  234.  Emissaries  of  rulers,  the, 
watch  Christ  in  Galilee,  254.  Press 
Jesus  to  tell  them  plaiuly  whether 
he  was  the  Christ,  274.  They  at- 
tempt to  stone  Christ,  255.  Consult 
how  they  can  secure  Christ,  275,  276. 
Their  impotence  to  execute  the 
sentence  of  condemnation  on  Christ, 
2S9.  Accept  the  responsibility  of 
Christ's  death,  291.  Persecute  St. 
Paul,  325.  Their  anger  at  their  as- 
sociation with  the  Gentiles  as  re- 
ceivers of  the  same  Gospel,  325. 

,  at  Corinth,  their  fury  against 

St.  Paul,  335. 

,  their  plot  against  St.  Paul's  life, 

343. 

Jezebel,  wife  of  Ahab,  183-186.  Her 
death,  18S. 


INDEX. 


HG7 


Jezreel,  city  of,  1S6.  Plain  and  valley 
of,  120, 128. 

Joab,  nephew  of  David,  157.  Slays 
Abner,  157.  At  Jerusalem,  158.  His 
victories  over  the  Edouiites,  160, 
1G3-165.     Slain,  10S. 

Joanna,  wife  of  Chuza,  260.  Her 
visit  to  the  sepulchre,  300. 

Joash,  father  of  Gideon,  128. 

(or  Jehoash),  king  of  Judah,  son 

of  Ahaziah,  crowned,  191.  His 
reign,  193, 194. 

Jochebed,  wife  of  Amram,  5S. 

Joel,  son  of  Samuel,  13S. 

Johauan  (see  Jehoahaz). 

Johauan  (.see  John). 

John  Mark,  the  nephew  of  Barnabas, 
322.  Accompanies  Barnabas  and 
Saul  in  their  first  missionary  jour- 
ney, 325.  Paul  refuses  to  take  him 
on  his  second  missionary  journey, 
32S.  He  accompanies  Barnabas  to 
Cyprus,  328  (see  Mark). 

John,  St,  follows  Christ,  243.  Goes 
to  Jerusalem,  244.  Sent  to  prepare 
the  Last  Supper,  285.  His  presence 
at  it,  286.  In  the  garden,  2S7.  Re- 
mains when  the  other  disciples  flet\ 
288.  Remains  beside  the  cross  of 
Christ,  297.  His  visit  to  the  sep- 
ulchre, 301.  Survives  the  fall  of 
Jerusalem,  352.  His  association 
with  Peter,  328-351.  At  Ephesus, 
352.  Exiled  to  Patmos,  352.  Epis- 
tles of,  352. 

.  Gospel  of,  237.    Supplemental  to 

the  other  three,  244.  Mark  of  this, 
253. 

,  Revelation  of,  350. 

,  second  son  of  Simon,  his  victory 

over  the  Syrians,  229. 

■ ,  son  of  Mattathias,  killed,  22S. 

the  Baptist,  his  birth  announced 

by  the  angel  Gabriel,  237.  Born, 
238.    His  preaching  of  repentance, 

242.  Baptizes  Christ,  242.  Pro- 
claims Christ  as  the  Lamb  of  God, 

243.  His  final  testimony  to  Christ, 
245.  Appears  before  Herod  Antipas, 
262.  Imprisoned,  246,  262,  263. 
Christ's  message  to,  258,  1J59.  His 
death,  2G3.  Christ's  testimony  to, 
259. 

Joiada,  the  high-priest,  223. 

Jonah,  sent  to  Nineveh,  195. 

• 's  three  days'  confinement  in  the 

fish  made  a  type  of  our  Lord's  burial, 

260. 
Jonathan  the  Levite,  son  of  Gershom, 

123. 
Jonathan,  son  of  Saul,  140.     Attacks 


JCHAS  JiARSABAB. 

the  Philistines,  143,  144.  His  life 
saved  by  the  people,  144.  His  friend- 
ship with  David,  149-152.  His  death, 
154. 

Jonathan,  the  high-priest,  223.  Slays 
his  brother,  223. 

,  son  of  Mattathias,  227.    Chosen 

leader,  22S.     Killed,  228. 

Jordan,  the  river,  113.  Passage  of  the, 
114. 

Joseph,  birth  of,  44.  The  favorite  of 
his  father,  47.  Conspiracy  of  his 
brothers,  48.  Carried  to  Egypt,  49. 
Imprisoned,  49.  Interprets  Phara- 
oh's dreams,  50.  Marriage  of,  50. 
His  brothers  settle  in  Egypt,  54. 
Receives  his  father's  blessing,  55. 
Death,  56.  Division  of  tribe  of,  118, 
119. 

,  betrothed  to  Mary,  23S. 

of  Arimathea,  begs  the  body  of 

Christ,  298. 

Joshua,  first  mention  of,  70.  Conse- 
crated as  the  successor  of  Moses, 
85.  Succeeds  Moses  as  the  leader 
of  Israel,  88.  His  former  name,  112. 
Marches  towards  the  Jordan,  113. 
Takes  Jericho,  114, 115.  Holds  the 
ceremony  of  the  Blessing  and  the 
Curse  on  Mounts  Gerizim  and  Ebal, 
116.  Defeats  the  Amorites,  116. 
Subdues  the  southern  half  of  Pales- 
tine, 117.  Defeats Jabin,  117.  Com- 
manded to  divide  the  land  by  lot, 
US.  Receives  as  his  inheritance 
Timuath-serah,  120.  His  exhorta- 
tion to  the  tribes,  120.  His  cove- 
nant with  the  people,  120.  His 
death,  120. 

,  slain  by  his  brother  Jonathan, 

the  high-priest,  223. 

Josiah,  king  of  Judah,  205.  Familv 
of,  207. 

Jotham,  son  of  Gideon,  escapes  when 
his  brothers  are  slain,  130.  Relates 
a  parable,  130. 

Jotham,  king  of  Judah,  197. 

Jubal,  23. 

Jubilee,  year  of,  104. 

Judaea,  under  Greek  influence,  2?4. 
Annexed  to  Syria,  232,  241.  Un- 
der the  Maccabees,  226-229.  Under 
Antipater,  232. 

Judasa,  new  kingdom  of,  230. 

Judah,  44.  Tribe  of,  118.  Takes  the 
lead  in  driving  out  the  heathen  na- 
tions, 122. 

Judaism,  St.  Paul  separates  from, 
334. 

Judah,  kingdom  of,  174. 

Judas  Barsabas,  sent  to  Antioch,  320. 


368 


SCRIPTURE   HISTORY. 


JUDAS   ISCARIOT. 

Judas  Iscariot,  his  love  of  the  world, 
284.  Christ  alludes  for  the  first 
time  to  his  treason,  268.  Treason 
of,  2S4.  His  presence  at  the  Last 
Supper,  2S6.  His  traitor's  kiss,  2S7. 
His  remorse,  292.    His  suicide,  292. 

Maccabreus  succeeds  his  father, 

226.  Gathers  an  army,  226.  Defeats 
Lysias,  227.    His  death,  228. 

,  St.  Paul  the  guest  of,  319. 

Judges,  Books  of,  122, 123. 

— ,  the,  109-122. 

,  the,  list  of  their  names,  125. 

Julius  has  charge  of  Paul  on  the  voy- 
age when  he  is  sent  to  Rome,  346, 
347. 

K 

Kadesh,  77-79. 

Konites,  S5. 

Keturah,  concubine  of  Abraham,  39. 

Kibroth-hattaavah.  77. 

Kish,  father  of  Saul,  140. 

Korah,  rebellion  of,  79. 


Laban,  son  of  Bethuel,  39,  44.     His 
^  covenant  with  Jacob,  45. 
.t,achish,  kimr  of,  enters  into  a  league 

against  Gibeou,   116.     His   death, 

117. 

,  city  of,  destroyed,  117. 

Lagus,  satrap  of  Egypt,  224. 

Lahai-roi,  well  of,  39. 

Laish,  120, 123. 

Lamb  of  God,  Christ  as  the,  279. 

Lamech,  polygamy  of,  23. 

,  song  of,  23. 

Language,  Adam  endowed  with,  20. 
Lapidoth,  the  husband  of  Deborah, 

126. 
Laver,  brazen,  94. 
Law,  Mosaic,  90-111. 
Laws,  Civil,  of  the  Jews,  110. 

,  Criminal,  of  the  Jews,  110. 

■ ,  Constitutional  and  Political,  of 

the  Jews,  10S,  109. 
Lazarus  raised  from  the  dead,  274, 

275.     Effect  of  the  miracle,  274. 
Leah,  wife  of  Jacob,  44. 
Levi,  44.    Tribe  of,  consecrated  to  the 

priesthood,  7:!,  74. 
Levites,  their  substitution  for  the  first- 
born, 76,  97,  99.    Provision   made 

for  their  habitation,  120. 
Libnah,  city  of,  destroyed,  117. 
Light,  20. 

Lois,  grandmother  of  Timothy,  329. 
Lot,  31-33.    His  escape  from  Sodom, 

56. 


MARK. 

Lots,  the  feast  of  (see  Purim). 

Lubim,  40. 

Luke,  St.,  his  appearance  in  the  com- 
pany  of  St.  Paul  on  his  second  mis- 
sionary journey,  32S.  Accompanies 
him  into  Macedonia,  330.  Shares 
the  imprisonment  of  Paul  at  Rome, 
344. 

■ ,  Gospel  of,  237-274. 

Lycaonia,  Paul  and  Barnabas  in,  326. 

Lydia,  conversion  of,  330. 

Lydians,  the,  40. 

Lysias,  general  of  Autiochus  IV.,  226. 
Advances  to  Beth-sura,  227. 

Lysias,  rescues  St.  Paul  iu  the  temple 
court,  342.  Places  him  before  the 
Sanhedrim,  342,  343.  Sends  him  to 
Felix,  343. 

Lystra,  Paul  and  Barnabas  at,  326. 

M. 

Maachah,  wife  of  Eehoboam,  176. 

Maccabaeau  historv,  226-229. 

Maccabees,  226-229".  Last  king  of  the, 
233. 

Macedonia,  its  contributions  for  the 
poor  in  Jerusalem,  336.  Paul's  in- 
tercourse with  the  churches  of,  335. 

Machpelah,  cave  of,  3S,  54. 

Madai,  40. 

Magadan  (see  Magdala). 

Magdala,  village  of,  260,  268. 

Magians,  the,  their  worship  of  Christ, 
239. 

Mahalaleel,  son  of  Seth,  24. 

Malinuaim,  46,  164. 

Mahlon,  sou  of  Naomi,  125. 

Makkedah,  cave  of,  117. 

,  citv  of,  destroyed,  117. 

Malachi,  221. 

,  Book  of,  221. 

Malchus,  king  of  Arabia,  campaign  of 
Herod  against,  234. 

Malichus,  courtier  of  Hvrcanus,  232. 

Malta,  St,  Paul  at,  347. 

Malthace,  fourth  wife  of  Herod  the 
Great,  240. 

M'amre,  altar  at,  33. 

Man,  creation  of,  20.  His  likeness  to 
God,  20.    His  fall,  21. 

Manasseh,  birth  of,  50.  Tribe  of,  86, 
US,  119. 

,  son  of  Hezekiah,  reign  of,  V 

Manna,  Israelites  fed  with,  69. 

Mauoah,  father  of  Samson,  134. 

Mariamne,  wife  of  Herod,  233.  Her 
death,  234. 

Mark  Antony,  233. 

Mark,  St.  (see  John  Mark). 

Mark,  Gospel  of,  237. 


INDEX. 


M9 


Martha,  sister  of  Lazarus,  Christ's  re- 
ply to  her,  275. 

Mary  Magdalene,  2C0.  Carries  the 
hews  of  the  supposed  removal  of 
Christ's  body  to  Peter  and  John, 
301. 

,  mother  of  Christ,  Gabriel  ap- 
pears to,  237,  23S.  Visits  Elisabeth, 
23S.     Taken  home  by  John,  298. 

— •,  sister  of  Lazarus,  anoints  the 
Lord,  277.  At  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
275. 

Marys,  the  three,  remain  bv  the  cross, 
295. 

,  visit  of  the  two,  to  the  sepulchre, 

300. 

Massah,  70. 

Mattaniah  (Zedckiah),  20S. 

Mattathias,  the  priest,  escapes  from 
Jerusalem,  226. 

Matthew,  St.,  call  of,  251.  Feast  given 
by,  251. 

,  Gospel  of,  237. 

Matthias,  chosen  as  an  apostle  in 
place  of  Judas,  SOS. 

Medad,  77. 

Medes,  the,  213. 

Mesriddo,  battle  of,  205. 

Mefchishua,  son  of  Saul,  154. 

Melchizedek,  33. 

Menahem,  king  of  Israel,  his  reign, 
195. 

Meuelaus,  obtains  the  high -priest- 
hood, 225. 

Mephibosheth,  son  of  Jonathan,  160, 
164. 

Merab,  daughter  of  Saul,  149. 

Meribah,  70. 

Merodach-baladau,  kiug  of  Babylon, 
202. 

Mcsha,  king  of  Moab,  revolts  from 
Israel,  188, 1S9. 

Meshach,  207,  211. 

Messiah,  first  prophecy  of  the,  22. 
Promise  of  the,  involved  in  the  di- 
vine words  to  Abraham,  31. 

,  247.    Jesus  announces  himself 

as  the,  248. 

Methuselah,  24. 

Micah  and  the  Danites,  story  of,  122. 

.,  197. 

Micaiah,  the  prophet,  1S7. 

MichaJ,  daughter  of  Saul,  149,  150, 
153. 

Michmash,  143, 144. 

Midianites,  82.  Slaughter  of  the,  S5. 
Defeated  by  Gideon,  129. 

Miletus,  Paul's  voyage  to,  340. 

Miracle — First,  of  the  loaves  and  fish- 
es, 266.  Of  healing  the  man  with 
the  withered  hand,  254.    Of  healing 

A 


nahoi:. 

two  blind  men  at  Jericho,  27T.  Of 
the  cure  of  leprosy,  251.  Of  the 
cure  of  the  demoniac,  249.  Of  the 
cure  of  the  paralytic,  '.'61.  Of  the 
finding  the  piece  of  money  in  the 
fish's  mouth,  271.  Of  the  healing 
of  the  centurion's  servant,  258.  Of 
restoring  the  life  of  the  widow's 
son,  258.  Of  the  healing  of  the  deaf 
and  dumb,  258.  Of  the  healing  of 
the  man  possessed  bv  a  legion  of 
devils,  261.  Of  the  stilling  of  the 
storm,  201.  Second,  of  the  loaves 
and  fishes,  26S. 

Miracles,  general  consideration  of 
the,  252. ' 

Miriam,  5-8.  Her  song,  68.  Her  op- 
position to  Moses,  77.  Her  death, 
80. 

Mishael,  207. 

Missionary  journey,  first,  of  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  324.  The  second,  of  St. 
Paul,  327. 

Mizraim,  40. 

Mnason,  disciple  of  Cyprus,  accom- 
panies St.  Paul  to  Jerusalem,  341. 

Moab,  territory  of,  SI. 

Moabites,  82,  85, 144, 100. 

Monarchy,  Hebrew,  establishment  of 
the,  109. 

Mordecai,  21S. 

Moriah,  origin  of  the  name,  165. 

,  Mount,  170. 

Moses,  birth  of,  5S.  Adopted  by 
Pharaoh's  daughter,  5S.  Decides  to 
cast  in  his  lot  with  his  own  people, 
59.  Kills  an  Egyptian,  59.  Com- 
manded to  lead  the  Israelites  out  of 
Egypt,  59,  60.  Oppressed  by  Pha- 
raoh, 61.  Leads  the  Israelites  out 
of  Egypt,  60.  God  speaks  to  him, 
71.  Called  into  the  cloud,  72.  Goes 
a  second  time  into  the  Mount,  74. 
His  disobedience,  80.  Blessing  of, 
86, 87.  Song  of,  86,  87.  Three  dis- 
courses of,  S6,  87.  Death  of,  88. 
His  character,  SS,  S9. 

Moses,  appears  in  the  Transfiguration, 
270. 

N. 

Naamah,  mother  of  Behoboam,  175. 

Naaman's  leprosy,  189. 

Nabal,  story  of,  152, 153. 

Nabouadius,  212,  213. 

Nabopolassar,  king  of  Babylon,  206, 
207. 

Naboth,  1S6. 

Nadab  sees  God,  72. 

i ,  son  of  Jeroboam,  his  reign,  178, 

!  Nahor,  30,  31. 


370 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


NAOMI. 

Naomi,  125. 

Naphtali,  44.    Tribe  of,  119. 

Nathan,  the  prophet,  150.      Sent   to 

denounce  David's  sin,  161, 162. 
Nazarenes,  origin  of  the  name,  239. 
Nazareth,  account  of,  238.     Christ's 

rejection  at,  248.    Christ's  second 

rejection  at,  261. 
Nazarites,  St.  Paul  joins  four,  in  their 

vow,  342. 
Nebuchadnezzar,   206,   207.       Takes 

Jerusalem,  208.    His  relations  with 

Daniel,  211.    Madness,  211,  212. 
Necho  (see  Pharaoh-Nechoh). 
Nehemiah,  218-221. 

,  Book  of,  218. 

Nehushta,  mother  of  Jehoiachin,  207. 
Nero,  accession  of,  336.    Paul  before, 

349. 
New  Moon,  Feast  of  the,'  103. 
Nicanor,  227. 
Nicodemus,   his    relations    towards 

Christ,  245.    The  secret  disciple,  in 

the    Council,  273.     Brings  myrrh 

and  aloes  to  anoint  the   body  of 

Christ,  2'JS. 
Nimrod,  30. 

Nineveh,  foundation  of,  30. 
Noah,  24,  25-2S.    Descendants  of,  27. 
Nod,  land  of,  23. 

O. 

Obadiah,  governor  of  Ahab's  house, 
1S3. 

Obed,  son  of  Boaz  and  Ruth,  125. 

Obed-edom,  the  Gittite,  the  ark  in  his 
house,  15S.  Made  chief  door-keep- 
er, 159. 

Oblations  (see  Sacrifices). 

Oded  the  prophet,  197. 

Offerings  (see  Sacrifices). 

Off,  kinff,  SI,  82. 

Olives,  Mount  of,  Christ  and  the  dis- 
ciples go  out  to  the,  2S7. 

Omri,  dynasty  of,  179. 

,  king  of  Israel,  reign  of,  179.   The 

statutes  of,  179. 

Onias  I.,  high-priest,  224. 

TIL,  high-priest,  225. 

IV.,  heir  to  high-priesthood,  tries 

to  revive  Jewish  worship  in  Egvpt, 
227. 

Ophir,  172. 

Orpah,  125. 

Oshea  (see  Joshua). 

Othniel,  the  First  Judge,  126. 


Padi,  203. 

Palestine,  230.     Subject  to  the  first 
five  Ptolemies,  224. 


PAUL. 

Pallas,  brother  of  Felix,  336. 

Palm-Sunday,  279. 

Parable,  meaning  of  the  word,  26*. 

Parables,  Christ's,  251,  261,  265.  In. 
terpretation  of  the,  25S,  259. 

Paraclete,  the,  2S6. 

Paran,  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  of, 
7S. 

Paschal  Lamb,  65,  105. 

"  Passion  Week,"  the,  27S. 

Passover,  institution  of  Feast  of  the, 
65.  Meaning  of  the,  66.  The,  105. 
Kept  by  Josiah,  205. 

,  Christ  attends  the,  239.    Again, 

253.  Second,  of  Christ's  ministry, 
264.  The  third,  during  our  Lord's 
ministry,  264. 

(see  bupper,  Paschal). 

Pastoral  epistles,  350. 

Patmos,  St.  John  banished  to,  352. 

Paul,  St.,  review  of  his  former  life, 
315,  316.  His  birthplace  and  parent- 
age, 315.  His  Roman  citizenship, 
315.  His  trade  of  tent-making,  297. 
His  education  in  Greek  learning  at 
Tarsus,  316,  and  in  rabbinical  lore 
at  Jerusalem,  316.  His  rigid  Phar- 
isaism and  zeal  for  the  law,  316. 
His  persecuting  spirit,  317.  His 
part  in  the  martyrdom  of  Stepheu 
and  the  ensuing  persecutions,  317. 
His  conversion,  317,  319.  Before 
Agrippa,  31S.  His  return  to  Damas- 
cus, 319.  The  mission  of  Ananias 
to  him,  319.  Restored  to  sight  and 
baptized,  319.  His  designation  to 
the  apostleship,  319.  His  ministry 
at  Damascus,  319.  His  reception  by 
the  apostles  and  the  Church,  319. 
His  vision  in  the  temple  aud  full 
commission  to  the  Gentiles,  319. 
His  ministry  in  Syria  and  Cilicia, 
321.  With  Barnabas  at  Autioch, 
321.  His  mission  to  Jerusalem  (his 
second  visit),  323.  His  separation 
with  Barnabas  for  the  mission  to 
the  Gentiles,  324.  His  first  mission- 
ary journey  with  Barnabas,  324. 
Conversion  of  Sergius  Paulus  and 
judgment  on  Elymas,  324.  Passage 
of  the  Taurus,  324.  At  Antioch,  in 
Pisidia,  325.  Persecuted  by  the 
Jews,  325.  With  Barnabas  at  Ico- 
nium,  325.  Cure  of  the  cripple  at 
Lystra,  326.  Stoned,  326.  His  re- 
turn journey  with  Barnabas,  326. 
He  and  Barnabas  go  to  Jerusalem 
to  oppose  the  Judaizing  spirit  in  the 
Church,  326.  His  reproof  of  Peter, 
326.  His  second  missionary  jour- 
ney, 327.     Accompanied  by  Silas, 


INDEX. 


371 


82S.  Their  visit  to  Syria  and  Cili- 
cia,  328.  Is  accompanied  by  Tim- 
othy on  his  journey,  328,  329.  In 
Phrygia  and  Galatia,  329.  Forbid- 
den to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Asia, 

329.  His  call  into  Europe,  329.  His 
voyage  to  Macedonia,  330.  At 
Philippi,  330.    Conversion  of  Lydia, 

330.  Scourged  and  imprisoned  with 
Silas,  331.  Conversion  of  the  jailer 
after  the  earthquake,  331.  Arrives 
■with  Silas  at  Thessalonica,  331. 
Preaches  in  the  synagogue  and 
rouses  the  envy  of  the  Jews,  331.  At 
Bercea,332.  His  discourse  at  Athens, 

332.  His  revelation  of  the  unknown 
God,  332.    His  converts  at  Athens, 

333.  Lives  at  Corinth  with  Aquila 
and  Priscilla,  working  with  his  own 
hands,  333.  Rejected  by  the  Jews, 
he  turns  to  the  Gentiles,  334.  God 
visits  him  by  a  vision  in  the  night, 

335.  Brought  before  Gallio,  335. 
Tumult  of  the  Jews  against,  335. 
His  voyage  to  Ephesus  and  visit  to 
the  synagogue,  335.  Goes  to  Jeru- 
salem, 33(5.  His  contest  with  Judaiz- 
ing  teachers,  aud  relief  of  Jewish 
Christians,  336.  Returns  to  Antioch, 

336.  End  of  his  second  missionary 
journey,  336.  Third  missionary 
journey,  33T.  His  dealing  with  the 
twelve  disciples  who  knew  only  the 
baptism  of  John,  338.  Preaches  in 
the  synagague  at  Ephesus,  338. 
Preaches  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus, 
338.  His  miracles.  338.  Prepares  to 
leave  Ephesus,  338.  His  first  Epis- 
tle to  the  Corinthians,  338.  Sets 
out  for  Macedonia,  339.  Second 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  339.  His 
journey  through  Macedonia  and 
voyage  from  Philippi  after  the 
Passover,  340.  His  week  at  Troas 
and  farewell  Sunday,  340.  His  voy- 
age to  Miletus,  340.  Another  Sun- 
day farewell,  340.  Takes  up  his 
abode  at  Caesarea  with  Philip  the 
deacon,  341.  His  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem, 341.  His  reception  by  the 
churches,  341.  Joins  four  Nazarites 
in  their  vow,  342.  Assaulted  in  the 
temple  and  rescued  by  the  tribuue 
Lysias,  342.  His  defenses  to  the 
people  and  before  the  Sanhedrim, 

342,  343.    The  plot  against  his  life, 

343.  His  defense  before  Felix  and 
imprisonment  at  C;esarea,  343,344. 
His  hearing  before  Festns,  344.  Ap- 
peals to  Csesar,  344.  His  defense  be- 
fore A-;rippa,  345.    The  decision  to 


send  him  to  Rome,  346.  His  voyage 
and  shipwreck,  minute  truthfulness 
of  the  narrative  of,  346,  347.  Ship 
caught  in  a  typhoon,  346.  The  ship 
drifts  on  the  starboard  tack,  34T. 
His  stay  at  Malta,  34T.  Voyage  to 
Syracuse,  Rhegium,  and  Puteoli, 
347,  348.  Journey  by  land  to  Rome, 
34S.  Met  by  Christians  at  Appii  Fo- 
rum aud  the  Three  Taverns,  348. 
Delivered  to  Burrus,  343  His  con- 
dition as  a  prisoner  in  the  Praetori- 
um,  348.  His  two  conferences  with 
the  Jews,  348.  His  two  years'  im- 
prisonment at  Rome,  349.  His  Epis- 
tle to  the  Colossians,  350.  His  Epis- 
tle to  Philemon,  350.  His  Epistles, 
350.  His  martyrdom,  350,  351.  Be- 
headed, 349.  Chronology  of  the  life 
of,  314. 

Paul's,  St.,  Bay,  347. 

Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  196, 197.  Reign 
of,  198. 

Pekahiah,  king  of  Israel,  196. 

Peleg,  30. 

Pentecost,  the  Feast  of,  106.  The  day 
of,  308. 

Peor,  84,  S5. 

Peter,  final  call  of,  249.  Attempts  to 
walk  upon  the  water,  267.  His  full 
confession  of  the  Christ,  269.  His 
remoustrauce  when  Christ  reveals 
the  mystery  of  his  death  and  resur- 
rection, 269.  Released  by  a  miracle 
from  his  difficulty  about  the  tribute- 
money,  271.  Sent  to  prepare  the 
Last  Supper,  2S5.  His  presence  at 
it,  2S0.  Christ's  prediction  concern- 
ing his  denial  of  him,  2S6.  In  the 
garden,  2S7.  Remains  when  the 
other  disciples  flee,  2SS.  His  denial 
of  Christ,  28S.  His  visit  to  the  sep- 
ulchre, 301.  Christ's  appearance  to 
him,  302.  His  avowal  of  love  to 
Christ,  304.  Christ's  command  to 
him,  and  prediction  of  his  martyr- 
dom, 304.  One  of  the  "  pillars  "  of 
the  Church,  305.  His  sermon  on 
the  Day  of  Pentecost,  309.  With 
John  before  the  Sanhedrim,  309. 
Proclaims  the  deceit  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira,  310.  His  boldness  at 
his  second  appearance  before  the 
Sanhedrim,  310.  He  and  John  con- 
fer on  the  converted  Samaritans  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  320.  His 
mission  to  the  Gentiles,  320.  Raises 
Dorcas  and  makes  converts  at  Jop- 
pa,  320.  Receives  the  first  Gentile 
converts  into  the  Church,  320.  His 
deliverance   from   prison,   322.     At 


372 


SCRIPTURE  HISTORY. 


the  conferences  at  Jerusalem  about 
the  Judaizing  spirit  in  the  Church, 
326.  Speech  of,  in  the  Church  at 
Jerusalem,  326.  His  subsequent  re- 
proof by  St.  Paul,  326.  Associated 
by  tradition  with  St.  Paul  in  martyr- 
dom, 351.  His  first  Epistle,  written 
from  Babylon,  351.    Death,  351. 

Peter,  First  Epistle  of,  351. 

Pharaoh's  command  to  destroy  the 
new-born  sous  of  the  Israelites,  5S. 
His  contest  with  Moses,  62-65.  Pur- 
sues the  Israelites,  6S. 

■  dreams,  49, 50. 

Pharaoh-Hophra,  kins  of  Egvpt,  20S. 

Nechoh,  king:  of  Egypt,*205,  206. 

Pharisees,  rise  of  the,'  220.  At  the 
time  of  Herod,  232.  Charge  the 
disciples  with  Sabbath  -  breaking, 
254.  Plot  withtheHerodiaus  against 
Christ,  255, 281.  Christ's  controversy 
with,  when  they  charge  him  with 
casting  out  devils  by  the  power  of 
Beelzebub,  260.  Christ's  encounter 
with,  who  ask  for  a  sitrn,  20S.  Leav- 
en of  the,  263,  269.  Hold  a  council 
concerning  Jesus,  275. 

Phasael,  son  of  Antipater,  puts  down 
revolt  of  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  233. 

Philemon,  Epistle  to,  350. 

Philip,  call  of,  243. 

,  son  of  Herod    and  Cleopatra, 

tetrarch  of  Iturrea,  240. 

Philippi,  battle  of,  233.    Paul  at,  340. 

Philippians,  Epistle  to  the,  350. 

Philistines,  their  settlement  in  Beer- 
sheba,  36.  Their  oppression  of  Is- 
rael, 133,  138.  Subdued  by  David, 
160. 

Phinehas,  son  of  Eleazar,  S5. 

,  son  of  Eli,  136, 1ST. 

Phoenicia,  16S. 

Phurah,  servant  of  Gideon,  129. 

Phut,  40. 

Pi-hahiroth,  68. 

Pilate,  Pontius,  his  tyranny,  245.  Je- 
sus brought  before,  289.  Sends 
him  to  Herod  Antipas,  290.  Appeals 
to  the  generosity  of  the  people,  290. 
Makes  one  more  effort  to  save  him, 
291.  Writes  the  title  of  Christ  to 
mortify  the  Jews,  294.  His  care  to 
ascertain  the  truth  of  Christ's  death, 
297.  Allows  Joseph  to  take  Christ's 
body,  298.    Deposed,  313. 

Plagues  of  Egypt,  62-65. 

Pompey,  enters  Jerusalem,  231. 

Potiphar,  49.    His  wife,  49. 

Potipherah,  father  of  Joseph's  wife, 
50. 

Prsetorinm,  Josus  led  to  the,  289. 


SABBATH. 

Priest,  high,  98. 

Priesthood,  institution  of  the,  97,  98. 

Priests,  high,  the,  98,  99. 

Proverbs,  Book  of,  169. 

Ptolemy  1.,  takes  Jerusalem,  224. 

n.,  Philadelpbus,  Septuagint  as- 
cribed partly  to  literary  tastes  of, 
224. 

IV.,  Philopater,   his  war    with 

Antiochus  the  Great,  224.  His  per- 
secution of  the  Jews,  224, 225. 

V.,  Epiphanes,  225. 

VI.,  Philometor,  225. 

Publius,  the  primate  of  Mclita,  347. 

Pul,  king  of  Assyria  attacks  Israel, 
196. 

Purim,  the  feast  of,  108,  21S. 

Puteoli,  Paul's  voyage  to,  348.  Chris- 
tians at,  34S. 

Q- 

Quadratus,  TJmmidius,  prefect  of 
Syria,  344. 

R. 

Rab-saris,  203. 

Rab-shakeh,  203. 

Rachel,  wife  of  Jacob,  44.    Her  death, 

47. 
Rahab,  113, 115. 

Ramoth-gilead,  battle  of,  181, 1S7. 
Raphia,  battle  of,  224. 
Rebekah,  wife  of  Isaac,  38,  30.    Her 

deceit,  41,  42,  43. 
Red  Sea,  passage  of  the,  G8. 
Rehoboam,  son  of  Solomon,  175.    Eia 

character,  176.     His  reign,  175,  176. 
Rephaim,  race  of  the,  147. 
Rephidim,  70. 
Resurrection  of  Christ,  300. 
Reuben,  44.    Saves  Joseph's  life,  4S. 

. ,  tribe  of,  S6, 118. 

Rez,n,    king    of   Damascus,   attacks 

Judah,  197. 
Rezon  founds  the  Syrian  kingdom  of 

Damascus,  173. 
Rizpah,  concubine  of  Saul,  160. 
Rod  of  Aaron,  62,  SO. 
Rod  of  Moses,  60. 
Rome,  Paul's  arrival  at,  34S.    His  twe 

years'  imprisonment  at,  349. 
Ruth,  125. 
,  Book  of,  124. 

S. 

Sabbath,  festivals  connected  with  the, 
102-104.  Institution  of  the,  20.  Re- 
vival of  the,  69,  216. 

after  the  Crucifixion,  299.     Christ 


INDEX. 


573 


BAlillATIC   VEAR. 

asserts  his  supremacy  over  the, 
254. 

Sabbatic  year,  103. 

Sabbatical  month  and  the  Feast  of 
Trumpets,  103. 

Sabiuus,  procurator  of  Judaea,  240. 

Sacred  seasons,  102-108. 

Sacrifice,  Isaac's,  37. 

,  of  living  animals,  22. 

Sacrifices  and  oblations,  02,  99, 100. 

Sadduc  {see  Zadok). 

Sadducees,  rise  of  the,  229.  Christ's 
encounter  with  the,  who  ask  for  a 
sign,  208.  The  leaven  of  the,  20S, 
209.  Attempt  of  the,  to  entrap 
Christ,  2SL 

Salathiel,  212. 

Salmon,  marries  Rahab,  115. 

Samaria,  119.  Capital  of,  built  by 
Omri,lT9.    Siege  of,  189. 

,  Christ's  journey  through  and  re- 
jection in,  272,  Restoration  of,  by 
Herod,  234. 

Samaritans,  rebellion  of,  224.  Con- 
version of  the,  313.  Peter  and  John 
preach  to  the,  352. 

Sameas,  232. 

Samson,  the  Fourteenth  Judge,  133- 
135. 

Samuel,  the  Fifteenth  Judge,  135, 136. 
His  connection  with  Saul,  140-150. 
His  death,  152. 

Sanballat  the  Horonite,  21S,  220. 

Sanhedrim,  the,  239.  Jesus  arraigned 
before  the,  28S.  Paul  before  the, 
343.  Peter  and  John  before  the, 
309.  Stephen  before  the,  312.  Apos- 
tles before  the,  310. 

Sarah,  wife  of  Abraham  (see  Sarai). 

Sarai,  wife  of  Abraham,  31,  32.  Her 
name  changed,  35.  Gives  birth  to 
Isaac,  36.     Death  of,  38. 

Sargou,  kiug  of  Assyria,  199,  202,  203. 

Saul,  140, 141.    Reign  of,  142-154. 

of  Tarsus  (see  Paul). 

Scape-goat,  107, 10S. 

Scanrus,  lieutenant  of  Pompey,  231. 

Scriptures,  the,  219. 

Seir,  Mount  (see  Edom). 

Seleucidas,  kingdom  of  the,  reaches 
climax  of  its  power,  224. 

Sennacherib,  203.     Death  of,  204. 

Septuagint,  the.  224. 

Sepulchre  of  Christ,  the,  298.  The 
watch  and  seal  upon  the,  298. 

,  holy,  visit  of  the  women  to  the, 

300.  Visit  of  Peter  and  John  to 
the,  301. 

Sergius  Paulus,  conversion  of,  324. 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  255,  257,  25S. 

Serpent,  the,  21,  22. 


SODOM. 

Seth,  24.    His  descendants,  24,  2& 

Sethite  race,  24,  25. 

Shadrach,207,211. 

Shallum,  son  of  Jabesh,  usurps  the 
crown  of  Israel,  195. 

Shalmaneser  II.,  king  of  Assyria,  192. 

IV.,  199. 

Shamgar,  the  Third  Judge,  126. 

Sheba,  son  of  Bichri,  rebellion  of,  164, 
165. 

■ ,  the  queen  of,  172. 

Shechem,  city  of,  32, 40.  Destroyed  by 
Abimelech,  131. 

,  valley  of,  87. 

Shekinah,  the,  92, 171. 

Shem,  26,  27,  2S. 

,  race  of,  29,  30,  40. 

Shemaiah,  the  prophet,  176. 

Sheshbazzar  (see  Zerubbabel). 

Shew-bread,  100. 

,  Table  of,  95. 

Shimei,  the  son  of  Gera,  103, 164.  His 
death,  168. 

Shinar,  plain  of,  30. 

Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  173.  Makes 
an  expedition  against  Jerusalem, 
176. 

Sichem  (see  Shechem). 

Sihon,  81,  82.     Kingdom  of,  81. 

Silas,  sent  to  Antioch,  326.  Accom- 
panies St.  Paul  on  his  second  mis- 
sionary journev,  328.  Left  at  Bercea, 
332.  Rejoins  Paul  at  Corinth,  333. 
His  arrival  gives  a  new  impulse  to 
St.  Paul,  334.  With  Paul  at  Philip- 
pi  (see  Paul). 

Silo,  general,  233. 

Siloam,  well  of,  273. 

Silvanus,  with  Peter  at  Babylon,  351. 

Simeon,  proclaims  Jesus  as  the  Christ 
of  God,  239. 

,  44.    His  imprisonment,  51. 

,  tribe  of,  119. 

Simon,  a  Cyreuian,  said  to  have  been 
the  bearer  of  the  cross  of  Christ, 
293. 

I.,  224. 

,  son  of  Mattathias,  227.    Aids  his 

brother  Jonathan,  228.     Memorial 
of  his  services,  229. 

Simon,  surnamed  Peter,  2«K>. 

the  Pharisee,  Christ  in  the  house 

of,  259,  260. 

Sinai,  Mount,  67,  71.  Wilderness  of, 
71. 

Sisera,  126, 127. 

Slaves,  110. 

,  Hebrew,  103, 110. 

So,  king  of  Egypt,  199. 

Sodom,  wickedness  of,  33,  35.  De- 
struction of,  36. 


374 


SCBTPTURE  HISTORY. 


SOLOMON. 

Solomon,  birth  of,  162.    Receives  his 
father's  charge  to  build  a  house  for 
Jehovah,  105.      Proclaimed   king,  : 
166.     His  reign,  167-173.     Marries  | 
Pharaoh's  daughter,  168.   God's  ap-  I 
pearance  to  him  in  a  dream,  16S.  j 
Receives  the  gift  of  wisdom,  168,  169.  ] 
His  decision  in  the  case  of  the  two 
women,  169.   His  magnificence,  169. 
Personal  qualities,  169.    Builds  the 
temple,  169-171.      His  palace,  171. 
His  other  buildings,  171,  172.    His 
faults,  172.    His  death,  173. 

,  Book  of  the  Acts  of,  173. 

,  Song  of,  169. 

Sosthenes,  ruler  of  the  synagogue  at 
Corinth,  335. 

Stephanas,  baptism  of,  334. 

Stephen,  the  martyr,  made  a  deacon, 
311.  His  faith  and  miracles,  311. 
His  success  in  the  controversy  with 
the  Hellenistic  Jews,  312.  His  de- 
fense before  the  Sanhedrim,  312. 
His  martyrdom,  312.  Its  effect  on 
St.  Paul,  312,  313.    Date  of,  313. 

Straight,  the  street  called,  319. 

Succoth,67. 

Supper,  the  Lord's,  Christ's  institu- 
tion of,  2S6. 

,  the    Paschal,  account    of,  2S5. 

Its  connection  with  the  last  Supper 
of  our  Lord,  2S6. 

Susanna,  260. 

Sychar,  Christ's  disciples  at,  246. 

Synagogue,  the  Great,  223. 

Synagogues,  216. 

Syria,  revolt  of,  233. 

Syrians,  David's  defeat  of  the,  160. 

Syro -Phoenician  woman,  prayer  of 
the,  2G8. 

T. 

Tabernacle,  covered  with  the  cloud, 
74.    Cloud  lifted  from  it,  76,  77. 

,  history  of  the,  97. 

,  made  after  the  pattern  shown  to 

Moses,  75,  92-97. 

... —  of  the  congregation,  74. 

- — ,  the,  set  up  at  Shiloh,  119. 

Tabernacles,  Feast  of,  106. 

Tables  of  stone,  72. 

Tadmor,  built  by  Solomon,  172. 

Tamar,  daughter  of  David,  162. 

Tarshish,  40, 172. 

Tarsus,  birth-place  of  St.  Paul,  315. 

Tartan  203. 

Taurus',  St.  Paul's  passage  of  the, 
324. 

Temple,  building  of  the,  109-171.  De- 
scription of  the,  170,  171.     Dedica- 


tion of  the,  171.    Rebuilding  of  the, 

under  Cyrus,  215,  216. 
Temple  at  Jerusalem,  Christ's  first 

cleansing    of    the,  245.       Second 

cleansing,  280. 

of  Herod,  234. 

Terah,  30.    His  genealogy,  31. 
TertuUns,  comes  to  Cffisarea  to  accuse 

Paul  before  Felix,  343. 
Testament,  Old,  the,  219. 

,  Canon  of  the  Old,  220. 

Theocracy  of  the  Jews,  91. 
Thessalonians,  First  Epistle  to  the, 

written  at  Corinth,  335. 
,  Second  Epistle  to  the,  written  at 

Corinth,  335. 
Thessalonica,  Roman  capital  of  Mace- 
donia, Paul  at,  331.    Synagogue  of 

the  Jews  at,  331. 
Thomas,  with  the  assembled  apostles 

at  the  second  appearance  of  Jesus 

to  them,  303. 
Three  Taverns,  the,  Christians  meet 

Paul  at,  34S. 
Tiberius,  313. 
Tibni,  a  competitor  for  the  crown  of 

Israel,  179. 
Tiglath-pileBer,  king  of  Assyria,  196, 

iis7, 198. 
Timnath-Serah,  Joshua's  inheritance, 

120. 
Timothy,  companion  of  St.  Paul  on 

his  second  missionary  jouruey,  328. 

His  parentage,  329.     Left  at  Bercea, 

332.    Rejoius  Paul  at  Corinth,  333. 

His  arrival  gives  a  new  impulse  to 

St.  Paul,  334.      With  Paul  on  his 

third  missionary  journey,  338.    His 

mission  to  Macedonia  and  Actinia, 

■ — -,  First  Epistle  to,  350. 

,  Second  Epistle  to,  350. 

Tirhakah,  king  of  Ethiopia.  204. 
Tirzah.  becomes  the  residence  of  king 

Jeroboam,  177. 
Tisri,  month  of,  103. 
Tithes,  101, 110. 
Titus,  accompanies  Paul  and  Barns« 

bas  to  Jerusalem,  326. 

,  Epistle  to,  350. 

Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  US,  220. 

Toi,  king  of  Hamath,  160. 

Tola,  the  Seventh  Judge,  131. 

Transfiguration,  the,  270. 

Tree  of  the  knowledge  of  Good  and 

Evil,  20. 
Tribes,  the  Twelve,  territories  of,  1 1S- 

120. 
Troas,  Alexandria,  St.  Paul  seee  at, 

the  vision  which  calls  him  to  En 

rope,  329. 


INDEX. 


375 


Troas,  Paul  spends  a  week  at,  340. 

Trumpets,  Feast  of  (see  Sabbatical 
Mouth). 

Tryphovi,  kills  Jonathan,  228.  Usur- 
pation of,  22S. 

Tubal-Cain,  23. 

Tyrannus,  the  school  of,  Paul  preach- 
es in  the,  338. 

Tyre,  Paul  at,  341. 

U. 

Urof  the  Chaldees,  31. 
Uriah  the  Hittite,  161. 
Urim  and  Thummim,  9S. 
Uzzah,  son  of  Abinadab,  15S. 
Uzziah,  king  of  Judah,  190, 19T. 

V. 

Vail,  the,  94. 

Vail  of  the  temple,  rending  of  the, 
29C. 

W. 

Weights    and  Measures,  Tables    of, 

353-350. 
Well,  Jacob's,  46.     Christ  at,  246. 
Whitsunday  (see  Pentecost,  Day  of). 
Whitsuntide,  100. 
Wilderness  of  Sin,  69. 
Woman,  creation  of,  21. 


"Xerxes,  king  of  Persia,  21T. 


ZONA  II. 

Z. 

Zacchaeus,  conversion  of,  277. 
Zachariah,  king  of  Israel,  his  reign, 

195. 
Zacharias,  priest  in  the  temple,  23T. 
Gabriel  appears   to  him,  237.    Re- 
covers his  speech,  238. 

Zadok,  159, 166, 168. 

Zaphuath-Paaneah,  name  given   to 
Joseph,  50. 

Zared,  valley  and  brook  of,  81. 

Zebadiah,  181. 

Zebedee,  his  sous,  272,  277. 

Zeboim,  33.    Destruction  of,  33. 

Zebudah,  mother  of  Jehoiakim,  200. 

Zebul,  governor  of  Shechem,  131. 

Zebulun,  44.    Tribe  of,  119. 

Zechariah,  a  prophet  at  the  time  of 
Uzziah,  196. 

,  son  of  Jehoiada,  193. 

,  the  prophet,  son  oflddo,  217. 

Zedekiah,  king  of  Judah,  20S. 

Zephaniah,  the  prophet,  205. 

"Zerah,  the  Cnshite,"  ISO. 

Zered  (see  Zared). 

Zerubbabel,  prince  of  Judah,  215- 

Zeruiah,  David's  sister,  157. 

Zibiah,  mother  of  Joash,  191. 

Zilpah,  44.     Children  of,  44. 

Zimri,  kills  Elah  and  succeeds  him 
179. 

Ziu,  wilderness  of,  79. 

Zion,15S,  171. 

Zipporah,  wife  of  Moses,  59,  71 

Zobah,  kingdom  of,  160. 


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